Syntax

//ˈsɪn.tæks// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A set of rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences.

    "The incorporation of a rule of V MOVEMENT into our description of English Syntax turns out to have fundamental theoretical implications for our overall Theory of Grammar: it means that we are no longer able to posit that the syntactic structure of a sentence can be described in terms of a single Phrase-marker representing its S-structure. For, the postulation of a rule of V-MOVEMENT means that we must recognise at least two different levels of structure in our Theory of Grammar — namely, a level of D-structure (formerly known as ‘Deep Structureʼ) which serves as input to the rule, and a separate level of S-structure which is formed by application of the rule."

  2. 2
    the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences wordnet
  3. 3
    The formal rules of formulating the statements of a computer language. countable
  4. 4
    studies of the rules for forming admissible sentences wordnet
  5. 5
    The study of the structure of phrases, sentences, and language.

    "[Otto] Jespersen, a language professor known for his expertise in syntax and language development, stated that headlinese is not really grammatical writing."

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  1. 6
    a systematic orderly arrangement wordnet

Etymology

Partly from Late Latin syntaxis and partly from its etymon, Ancient Greek σύνταξις (súntaxis), from σύν (sún, “together”) + τάξις (táxis, “arrangement”), from τάσσω (tássō, “I arrange”). Doublet of syntaxis.

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