Backus–Naur form

metasyntax notation for context-free grammars, developed by John Backus and Peter Naur for the ALGOL 60 report (1963); foundational to formal language specification in computer science
Thing metasyntax Q211577
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Summary

Backus–Naur form is a metasyntax[1]. It has Wikipedia articles in 26 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[2]

Key Facts

  • Backus–Naur form's instance of is recorded as metasyntax[3].
  • Backus–Naur form's instance of is recorded as formal grammar[4].
  • John Backus is named after Backus–Naur form[5].
  • Peter Naur is named after Backus–Naur form[6].
  • Backus–Naur form is a type of context-free grammar[7].
  • Backus–Naur form is used for formal grammar[8].
  • Backus–Naur form's Commons category is recorded as Backus–Naur Form[9].
  • Backus–Naur form's short name is recorded as {'lang': 'mul', 'text': 'BNF'}[10].
  • Backus–Naur form's short name is recorded as {'lang': 'mul', 'text': 'БНФ'}[11].
  • Backus–Naur form's derivative work is recorded as Augmented Backus–Naur Form[12].
  • Backus–Naur form's derivative work is recorded as extended Backus–Naur form[13].

Body

Definition and Type

Recorded instance of include metasyntax[3] and formal grammar[4]. Backus–Naur form is a type of context-free grammar[7].

Origins

Things named after include John Backus[5], a mathematician[14], 1924–2007[15], of United States[16], awarded the IBM Fellow[17], specialised in computer science[18] and Peter Naur[6], an astronomer[19], 1928–2016[20], of Kingdom of Denmark[21], awarded the Turing Award[22], specialised in computer science[23].

Use and Application

Backus–Naur form is used for formal grammar[8].

Why It Matters

Backus–Naur form has Wikipedia articles in 26 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[2] It is known by 82 alternative names across languages and contexts.[24]

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [3] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  3. [5] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [8] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [9] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [14] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [15] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [16] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [17] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [18] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [19] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [20] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [21] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [22] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [23] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [2] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  2. [24] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Backus–Naur form. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/backus-naur-form
MLA “Backus–Naur form.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 14 Oct. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/backus-naur-form.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_backus-naur-form_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Backus–Naur form}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/backus-naur-form}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-14}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 18w ago · HelloImSteven · 2026-06-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Subclass of → context-free grammar
    Instance of → —
    Aliases → —
    Has use → formal grammar
    + 7 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:1||1 */ Foldoc id: Backus+Normal+Form, import FOLDOC ID ([[:toollabs:editgroups/b/wikibase-cli/9aef88c707e54/|details]])"
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