Meaning of literal (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Literal:

Literal is an adjective used to refer to that interpretation that is made of a text and that is faithful or adheres to the original meaning of the words embodied in it. As such, it comes from the Latin litterālis , that is to say, the letter, and should not be confused with literary.

In this sense, the literal is that which faithfully respects the proper meaning of the words, and therefore is contrasted with the figurative or broad meaning, that is, that which is attributed or deduced from the words, depending on the context or the intention with which they have been used. Hence, the literal refers to a type of language that opposes the figurative, that is, that metaphorical or poetic that uses literary figures to express ideas.

In the field of translation, a literal term is a translation that has respected the words and the syntactic structure of the original text as much as possible, and that has translated them into another language while preserving, with the greatest possible fidelity, their primary meaning.

Likewise, in the transcription of an alphabetical script into another language, we say that a literal transcription has been carried out when it has been carried out letter by letter.

On the other hand, as literal we can also refer to those words or texts that faithfully reproduce what has been said or written: "The mayor's literal words were that 'the closing time of the voting tables will not be extended'". Hence, the literal is what is read or reproduced verbatim, completely and accurately.

Literal in Law

In Law, a literal interpretation is one that adheres to the letter of the law, that is, its literal meaning, and that is opposed, as such, to the spirit of the law, that is, to the intention that has moved the legislator to dictate said law and that, on occasions, the judge must interpret when determining its application.

Literal in religion

In the reading of the different religious texts, such as the Koran or the Bible, literal interpretations are spoken of to refer to that type of exegesis that adheres absolutely to the doctrine of the holy books. Hence the emergence of fundamentalist and fundamentalist currents, which reject the alterations or reinterpretation of doctrinal principles.

Literal in Mathematics

In Mathematics, in the field of algebra more specifically, as literal it is called any concept or magnitude that is expressed in letters. When one of these letters represents an unknown value, it is called an unknown.