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[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago

I'm something of a grammar Nazi, but just like I support letting "whom" die, "less" and "fewer" might as well just be interchangeable. There's no loss of language utility in doing so, unlike "literally"'s tragic demise.

[-] pythonoob@programming.dev 11 points 1 year ago

Ah don't let whom die. It's a really good lesson in subject vs object.

[-] Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Literally has been used for emphasis, hyperbole, and metaphor since at least the late 18th century.

[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I'm aware, but it was done so sparingly, as opposed to being used to mean its opposite far more than its original meaning nowadays.

[-] Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

That is how language works. It starts off small, then it catches on over time, and after a long time has passed, it either gets filtered out, or it becomes commonly used. The case for literally being used, for reasons other than its original one, started a couple hundred years ago. Today it is super commonly used that way, as it didn't get abandoned. You are mad at the nature of the beast.

this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2024
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