Litéral

Litéral is a nonstandard spelling of the French adjective littéral, which denotes literal meaning—the direct, primary sense of a word or text, as opposed to figurative or metaphorical interpretations. In formal French, the standard form is littéral; litéral is typically considered a misspelling or nonstandard variant, though it may appear in informal writing or regional contexts.

Etymology and sense: The term derives from Latin litteralis, from littera “letter.” The underlying idea connects language to its explicit content and denotative meaning, rather than to suggested or symbolic readings. This lineage underpins the distinction between literal meaning and figurative meaning in linguistic and literary analysis.

Usage: In linguistics and literary studies, the litéral (littéral) sense refers to interpreting words by their dictionary or explicit meaning. French phrases include prendre au sens littéral (to take something in the literal sense) and lire littéralement (to read literally). This contrasts with sens figuré (figurative sense) and with metaphorical or idiomatic readings. In translation and rhetoric, distinguishing between literal and figurative readings helps determine appropriate rendering or interpretation.

Notes: The standard French spelling is littéral. The variant litéral is often described as a spelling error or regional/colloquial form and is generally avoided in formal writing. Some linguistic guides document common misspellings and advise adhering to the conventional form.

See also: literal, figurative language, denotation, sense (linguistics).