kirjaimellista

Kirjaimellista is a Finnish term used to describe language, interpretation or meaning that adheres to the literal sense of words, rather than their figurative or metaphorical sense. It is derived from kirjaimellinen, meaning related to letters or to the letters of the alphabet, with kirjaimellista being the partitive singular form of the adjective. The adverb form is kirjaimellisesti.

In usage, kirjaimellista characterizes a stance or interpretation that sticks closely to the explicit, surface meaning of the text. For example, a kirjaimellista tulkintaa would be a literal interpretation of a text, while a kirjaimellinen merkitys refers to the exact lexical meaning of a term. The concept is often contrasted with metaphorical, figurative, or idiomatic readings, which read beyond the literal words to convey a different sense.

In practice, the term appears in discussions of linguistics, translation, religious exegesis, and everyday language. Phrases such as kirjaimellinen käännös (literal translation) or kirjaimellinen tulkinta (literal interpretation) are common when distinguishing faithful word-for-word renderings from more adaptive or interpretive approaches. The expression kirjaimellisesti sanottuna, meaning “literally speaking,” is used to emphasize that what is being stated should be understood in its exact, non-figurative sense.

Etymologically, the root lies in kirja- or kirjain, referring to letters, and the suffix -ellinen, which forms adjectives meaning “pertaining to.” The concept of literal versus figurative meaning is cross-cultural and widely encountered in language, religion, and media discourse.