OK, but I claim there is a difference between “literally” and a mere intensifier.
I’m confused. Perhaps we’re writing past each other!
There is a meaning or sense of ‘literally’ that is not an intensifier – I believe this is true.
In most cases, for myself personally (and subject to all of the limitations of this kind of memory and for myself personally), I seem to be able to interpret specific uses of “literally” unambiguously.
There are occasional exceptions tho!
Also, people who can’t tell the difference between “A->B” and “A, and also B” are pretty frustrating to talk to.
I agree!
I agree that there isn’t some general method to distinguish the cloud from the literal meaning, or pick out which literal meaning, but I claim people do anyway, sometimes making quite a strong distinction.
I agree – people do it (pretty reliably) anyway and there can be arbitrarily strong distinctions maintained.
I’m confused. Perhaps we’re writing past each other!
There is a meaning or sense of ‘literally’ that is not an intensifier – I believe this is true.
In most cases, for myself personally (and subject to all of the limitations of this kind of memory and for myself personally), I seem to be able to interpret specific uses of “literally” unambiguously.
There are occasional exceptions tho!
I agree!
I agree – people do it (pretty reliably) anyway and there can be arbitrarily strong distinctions maintained.