literally

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Rhymes with -ɪtəɹəli, -ɪtɹəli

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂leyH-der.

Old Latin leitera

Latin līterader.?

Proto-Hellenic *dipʰtʰérā?

Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā)bor.

Etruscan [Term?]bor.?

Latin littera

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Late Latin litterālisbor.

Old French literalbor.

Middle English literal

Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der.

Proto-Germanic *līkąder.

Proto-Germanic *-līkaz

Proto-Germanic *-ê

Proto-Germanic *-līkê

Proto-West Germanic *-līkē

Old English -līċe

Middle English -ly

Middle English litteraly

English literally

From Middle English litteraly. See literal and letter. By surface analysis, literal + -ly.

Without overstatement or understatement, or false or misleading words. He's prone to exaggeration, so don't take what he says literally.
With phrasings that might normally be used or understood as figurative: truly; not figuratively; not as an idiom or metaphor. When I saw on the news that there would be no school tomorrow because of the snowstorm, I literally jumped for joy, and hit my head on the ceiling fan.
Draws attention to a pun or other wordplay involving an idiom. My daughter's pet rabbit had babies, and now we've literally got rabbits coming out of our ears.
colloquial Used as a general intensifier or dramatiser, sometimes tending towards a meaningless filler. I had no idea, so I was literally guessing.
proscribed, sometimes Used as an intensifier with statements or terms that are in fact meant figuratively and not word for word as stated. He was so surprised, he literally jumped twenty feet in the air.
colloquial Used as a generic downtoner: just, merely. It's not even hard⁠ to make—you literally just put it in the microwave for five minutes and it's done.