Pre-literate: before the advent of writing. The word is derived from the Latin litera, letter.
It is self-evident that verbal communication evolved preliterally, and equally self-evident that language significantly pre-dated writing.
But written communication is a poor substitute for verbal communication, especially when one is trying to convey associated emotion.
For example, the written word "UGH!" in no effective way conveys the sentiment you are attempting to express following an unanticipated punch in the solar plexus (which, if you were able, would be a spittle-enhanced "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR, YOU ARSEHOLE!").
But the principal narky little bit of pedantry I want to have a whinge about is the grass-seed-in-the-underpants irritation of a genteel interlocutor's daring post-literate mispronunciation of the word "poop" as "pooop".
(HINT: If you're too classy to say "shit", it's "poop" as in "book" not as in "scoop", you fucking poseur.)
(AND WHILE I'M AT IT: It's "twat" as in "blot", not as in "hat".)
GOT IT?
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