Literal
late Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin litteralis, from Latin littera (see letter).
wiktionary
From Middle English literal, from Old French literal, from Late Latin litteralis, also literalis(“of or pertaining to letters or to writing”), from Latin littera, litera(“a letter”); see letter.
etymonline
literal (adj.)
late 14c., "taking words in their natural meaning" (originally in reference to Scripture and opposed to mystical or allegorical), from Late Latin literalis/litteralis "of or belonging to letters or writing," from Latin litera/littera "letter, alphabetic sign; literature, books" (see letter (n.1)). Related: Literalness.
Meaning "of or pertaining to alphabetic letters" is from late 14c. Meaning "concerned with letters and learning, learned, scholarly" is from mid-15c. Sense of "verbally exact, according to the letter of verbal expression" is attested from 1590s, as is application to the primary sense of a word or passage. Literal-minded is attested from 1791.
