a. and sb. Forms: 5–8 litteral, (5, 6 lyt(t)urall, 6 lyt(t)ar-, -erall), 6–7 lit(t)erall, 4– literal. [a. OF. literal (F. littéral), ad. L. litterālis, f. littera LETTER sb.]
A. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to letters of the alphabet; of the nature of letters, alphabetical; † expressed by letters, written. † Of a verse = ALLITERATIVE.
c. 1475. Partenay, 6605. And so haue I don, after myne entent, With litterall carectes for your sake.
1585. Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 63. Be Literall I meane, that the maist pairt of zour lyne, sall rynne vpon a letter, as this tumbling lyne rynnis vpon F.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 15. Whether we shoulde expecte a literall acknowledgment of the charge, or to hear a personall confession of the same.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., VIII. 348. I wrot this literal Distich: Glance, Glorious Geneue, Gospell-Guiding Gem; Great God Gouerne, Good Geneues Ghostly Game.
1733–63. N. Hooke, Rom. Hist. (ed. 5), I. 8. Some say that the art of expressing their thoughts by literal characters was first taught them by these Arcadians.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., Contents, 7. Literal References.
b. Of a misprint (occas. of a scribal error): Affecting a letter. (Cf. B. 2.)
1606. Holland, Sueton., To Rdr. If there happen to occur some Errata … ye will … either pass them over with connivency if they be literall or else taxe with some easie censure in case they be materiall.
1699. Bentley, Phal., iii. 112. ’Twas a literal fault in that Copy, which Casaubon used.
1748. Anson’s Voy., Introd. 6. I know of none but literal mistakes, some of which are corrected in the table of Errata.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., III. viii. 26. There are just the same kind of literal imperfections in them [the books of the Bible] that there are in all others.
1880. Athenæum, 25 Sept., 398/1. It is … vexatious that, through the inattention of the printers, any literal errors should have crept into it.
c. Of mathematical notation and computation: Performed by means of letters. Of a quantity, an equation, etc.: Denoted or expressed by a letter or letters. Opposed to numerical.
1673. Kersey, Algebra, I. i. 2. Algebra is by late Writers divided into two kinds; to wit, Numeral and Literal (or Specious).
1706. W. Jones, Syn. Palmar. Matheseos, A iij b. The First Principles of Literal Computation, usually called Algebra.
1755. Johnson, s.v., The literal notation of numbers was known to Europeans before the cyphers.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), I. 399/2. The literal calculus and the algebraic rules of Harriot.
1842. Francis, Dict. Arts, etc., Literal Equation.
2. Of a translation, version, transcript, etc.: Representing the very words of the original; verbally exact. † Also, (the) exact (words of a passage).
1599. Massinger, etc., Old Law, I. i. Pray you repeat the literall words expresly.
1692. Dryden, Juvenal, Ded. (1697), 87. The common way … is not a literal Translation, but a kind of Paraphrase.
a. 1753. R. Newton, Theophrastus’ Char. (1754), p. viii. I do not say it is necessary, that all Greek Authors should be attended with versions so literal.
c. 1850. Arab. Nts. (Rtldg.), 258. I have had the honour to give you both a literal and a faithful narrative of the conversation.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., ix. (1856), 67. This may excuse a literal transcript from my diary.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), I. Notes 227. I shall not imitate Shelley in adding a literal translation.
3. a. Theol. Pertaining to the ‘letter’ (of Scripture); the distinctive epithet of that sense or interpretation (of a text) which is obtained by taking its words in their natural or customary meaning, and applying the ordinary rules of grammar; opposed to mystical, allegorical, etc. † Also occas. of a commandment, law, etc.: That is to be interpreted literally.
1382. Wyclif, Prol., 43. Holy scripture hath iiij vndirstondingis; literal, allegorik, moral, and anagogik.
1460. Capgrave, Chron. (Rolls), 107. Not only with litteral teching, but with many mysti exposiciones.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), II. ix. 108. Unto the lyturall sens, by this commaundement is pryncypally defended manslaughter.
c. 1530. More, Answ. Frith, Wks. 835/1. If he sayd that the wordes of Chryste might beside the lyttarall sence be vnderstanden in an allegorye, I woulde wel agre wyth him.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., II. 97. The couenant of God made with the auncient people, was voide, bicause it was onely literall.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lix. § 2. Where a litterall construction will stand, the farthest from the letter is commonly the worst.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1674), 8 b. Moses received of God a literal Law … to be imparted to all, and another Mystical.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 433. The Prophets predicting things of them in reference to the first Completion which is Literal.
a. 1761. Law, Comf. Weary Pilgr. (1809), 114. All these texts, which a learning, merely literal, has thus mistaken, do only prove [etc.].
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. vi. 125. The literal meaning of the incident is almost lost in its high spiritual application.
b. Hence, by extension, applied to the etymological or the relatively primary sense of a word, or to the sense expressed by the actual wording of a passage, as distinguished from any metaphorical or merely suggested meaning.
1597. G. Harvey, Trimming T. Nashe, Wks. (Grosart), III. 36. I giue not euery word their litteral sence.
1638. R. Baker, trans. Balzac’s Lett. (vol. III.), 12. Never eares were more attentive,… then those of our family when I read your letter … they were not satisfied to have onely a literal interpretation.
1718. Freethinker, No. 35. 255. If you mention the Golden Age to him, he understands it in a literal sense.
1763. Chesterf., Lett. to Son, 18 Dec. (1892), III. 1302. I see very few people; and, in the literal sense of the word, I hear nothing.
1809–10. Coleridge, Friend (1865), 156. Advocates for reform in the literal sense of the word.
1902. Greenough & Kittredge, Words & their Ways, xvii. 235. Position and situation are similar to state in their literal meaning.
c. Of persons: Apt to take literally what is spoken figuratively or with humorous exaggeration or irony; prosaic, matter-of-fact.
1778. Mad. D’Arblay, Evelina (1791), II. xxxvii. 246. ‘I fancy you will find no person … call going about a few places in a morning seeing Bath.’ ‘Mayhap, then,’ said the literal Captain, ‘you think we should see it better by going about at midnight?’
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., III. 78. Their tendency … to something of the literal dulness which Charles Lamb complains of in relation to the Scotch.
1858. O. W. Holmes, Aut. Breakf.-t., iii. 20. One man who is a little too literal can spoil the talk of a whole tableful of men of esprit.
1865. M. Arnold, Ess. Crit., Pref. 12. The earnest, prosaic, practical, austerely literal future.
Comb. a. 1849. H. Coleridge, Ess. (1851), I. 320. Literal-minded, unimaginative … individuals.
d. Of composition: Free from figures of speech, exaggeration or allusion.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. iii. 88. They are not to be taken as intended for a literal delineation of what is in fact the particular scheme of the universe.
1887. M. Morris, Claverhouse, iv. (1888), 66. His own despatch is singularly literal and straightforward.
4. Used to denote that the accompanying sb. has its literal sense, without metaphor, exaggeration or inaccuracy; literally so called.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. iii. 11. The literall and downe-right adorement of Cats, Lizards, and Beetles.
1659. Pearson, Creed (1839), 385. When we say Christ ascended, we understand a literal and local ascent … of his humanity.
1679. Harby, Key Script., I. 5. The seventh Head also (was not Rome Papal, but) appertained to Rome Literal.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), I. ii. 18. The literal extirpation of a nation is an impossibility.
† 5. Of or pertaining to letters or epistles; epistolary. Obs.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), III. 4. To hold this litterall correspondence I desire but the parings of your time … let our Letters be as Eccho’s.
a. 1657. R. Loveday, Lett. (1663), 168. To … shorten the distance betwixt us, by a literal intercourse.
† 6. Of or pertaining to letters or literature; = LITERARY. Obs.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), II. 658. Lackyng lytturall scyens.
1591. G. Fletcher, Russe Commw. (Hakl. Soc.), 63. They excell in no kinde of common arte, much lesse in any learning or litterall kinde of knowledge.
1604. T. Wright, Passions, III. iv. 102. If they be delighted in musicke they present them with instruments,… if in studie with literall labours.
B. sb.
† 1. A literal interpretation or meaning. Obs.
1630. Donne, Serm., xiii. 127. S. Gregory hath … given us many Morals (as he cals them) upon this Booke [Job], but truly not many Literals for … he bends all the sufferings of Iob figuratively, mystically upon Christ.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. x. 204. How dangerous it is in sensible things to use metaphoricall expressions unto the people, and what absurd conceits they will swallow in their literals.
2. Printing. A misprint of a letter.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea [170]. Errata sic corrige … The litteralls are commended to favour.
1880. Print. Trades Jrnl., xxx. 6. We noticed rather a large number of literals.
