Etymology

literalist

L1I1T1E1R1A1L1I1S1T1

Today it means: A person who adheres to the literal representation of a statement or law. Full definition →

English literal ← Middle English literal ← Old French litera
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂leyH-
  2. Old Latinleitera
  3. Latinlīterader.?
  4. Proto-Hellenic*dipʰtʰérā?
  5. Ancient Greekδιφθέρᾱ (diphthérā)
  6. Etruscan[Term?]bor.?
  7. Latinlittera
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  10. Late Latinlitterāli
  11. Old Frenchlitera
  12. Middle Englishliteral
  13. Englishliteral
  14. English todayliteralist

From literal + -ist.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.