# grammar

> set of structural rules that governs the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language

**Wikidata**: [Q8091](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8091)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/grammar

## Summary
Grammar is the set of structural rules that governs the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. It serves as a foundational component of linguistics, functioning as both an academic discipline and a system of conventions. These rules dictate how language elements combine to create coherent meaning, encompassing various frameworks such as syntax, morphemics, and orthography.

## Key Facts
- **Definition**: A set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language.
- **Classification**: It is an academic discipline and a subclass of convention (agreed or generally accepted standards) and linguistics.
- **Dewey Decimal Classification**: 415.
- **Components**: It is a constituent of the trivium, the lower division of the seven liberal arts comprising grammar, logic/dialectic, and rhetoric.
- **Related Fields**: Closely associated with syntax (the study of sentence inner structure), morphemics, and orthography (writing conventions).
- **Theoretical Frameworks**: Includes generative grammar, cognitive grammar, construction grammar, dependency grammar, case grammar, categorial grammar, and historical grammar.
- **Types**: Distinguished between descriptive grammar (describing actual linguistic state) and normative grammar (laying down norms).
- **Identifiers**:
    - GND ID: 4021806-5
    - LCCN ID: sh85056259
    - BNF ID: 12042781h
    - NDL ID: 00561024
    - BabelNet ID: Q246180
    - NARA ID: 13491
    - FAST ID: 2395
    - Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID: 3907444

## FAQs
**What is the primary function of grammar?**
Grammar functions as the set of structural rules that govern how clauses, phrases, and words are composed in any given natural language, ensuring coherent communication.

**How does grammar relate to the academic field of linguistics?**
Grammar is a core part of linguistics, the scientific study of language, and is itself classified as an academic discipline and a convention of agreed-upon standards.

**What are the differences between descriptive and normative grammar?**
Descriptive grammar is a linguistic work that describes the actual state of a linguistic system at a specific epoch, whereas normative grammar involves laying down grammatical norms for how language should be used.

**What is the trivium in relation to grammar?**
The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts, and it comprises grammar along with logic (or dialectic) and rhetoric.

**What are some examples of specific grammatical theories?**
Examples include generative grammar (a theory in linguistics), cognitive grammar (a linguistic theory), construction grammar (within cognitive linguistics), and dependency grammar (based on the dependency relation founded by Lucien Tesnière).

## Why It Matters
Grammar is essential because it provides the structural framework necessary for human communication, allowing for the standardized composition of words, phrases, and clauses. As a system of conventions, it enables mutual understanding among speakers of a natural language. Its study drives the field of linguistics, offering insights into the cognitive and historical development of language through various theoretical lenses such as generative, cognitive, and historical grammar. Furthermore, grammar's role in the trivium highlights its historical importance in the foundation of liberal arts education.

## Notable For
- **Scope of Application**: Encompasses grammatical rules for a vast array of languages, including widely spoken ones like English, Spanish, and Chinese, as well as constructed languages like Esperanto, Interlingue, and Klingon.
- **Theoretical Diversity**: Hosts numerous distinct theoretical frameworks, such as case grammar (focusing on verb valence), categorial grammar (motivated by compositionality), and matrix grammar (using finite sequences of productions).
- **Historical Depth**: Includes historical grammar, which depicts language development over centuries, and is associated with ancient scholars like Agallis and Apion.
- **Interdisciplinary Connections**: Connects to orthography (writing conventions), syntax (sentence structure), and specific linguistic concepts like sequence of tenses and parallelism.

## Body

### Definition and Core Concepts
Grammar is defined as the set of structural rules that governs the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. It operates as a convention—a set of agreed, stipulated, or generally accepted standards—within the broader scientific study of language known as linguistics. The field is classified as an academic discipline and is identified by various library and scientific classification codes, including the Dewey Decimal number 415.

### Academic and Historical Context
As a foundational discipline, grammar is a key component of the trivium, which is the lower division of the seven liberal arts comprising grammar, logic (or dialectic), and rhetoric. Historically, the study of grammar has been documented by numerous scholars, including ancient figures like Agallis (an ancient Greek grammarian) and Apion (a 1st-century Hellenized Egyptian grammarian and sophist). The tradition continues with medieval and modern linguists such as Sibawayh (a Persian grammarian from Basra, c.760–796) and James Harris (a British politician and grammarian).

### Theoretical Frameworks
Grammar is not a monolithic subject but encompasses a wide variety of theoretical frameworks and analytical approaches:
- **Generative Grammar**: A theory in linguistics that posits a set of rules to generate all valid sentences.
- **Cognitive Grammar**: A linguistic theory that interprets grammar as arising from cognitive processes.
- **Construction Grammar**: A family of theories within cognitive linguistics.
- **Dependency Grammar**: A class of modern theories based on the dependency relation (as opposed to constituency), founded by Lucien Tesnière.
- **Case Grammar**: A system focusing on the link between a verb's valence and its grammatical context.
- **Categorial Grammar**: A formalism motivated by the principle of compositionality, viewing constituents as functions or arguments.
- **Historical Grammar**: Depicts language development over centuries.
- **Matrix Grammar**: A formal grammar where productions are grouped into finite sequences called matrices.
- **Tree-Adjoining Grammar**: A specific grammar formalism.
- **Weighted Context-Free Grammar**: A formalism used in computational linguistics.

### Types and Approaches
The study and application of grammar are often divided into specific methodologies:
- **Descriptive Grammar**: Describes the actual state of a linguistic system at a particular epoch.
- **Normative Grammar**: Prescribes grammatical norms.
- **Traditional Grammar**: A framework for describing language structure.
- **Orthography**: The set of conventions for writing a language, closely related to grammar.

### Related Linguistic Fields
Grammar intersects with several specific linguistic sub-fields and concepts:
- **Syntax**: The field studying the inner structure of sentences.
- **Morphemics**: The study of morphemes.
- **Sequence of Tenses**: Rules governing the agreement between verb tenses in related clauses.
- **Parallelism**: Balance within sentences of similar phrases or clauses with the same grammatical structure.
- **Topic–Comment**: Terms describing sentence structure.
- **Potential**: A grammatical mood.
- **Conjunction**: A part of speech connecting words, sentences, phrases, or clauses.

### Specific Language Grammars
Grammar applies to virtually every known language, with specific rules and structures documented for:
- **Major European Languages**: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Basque, Catalan, Breton, Welsh, Irish, Slovene, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, and Church Slavonic.
- **Asian and Middle Eastern Languages**: Chinese (Modern Standard Mandarin), Korean, Japanese (implied by "Old English grammar" context or specific listings, though specifically listed are: Vietnamese, Khmer, Hindustani, Bangla, Tamil, Malay, Tagalog, Punjabi, Kurdish, Arabic, Persian, and Modern Hebrew).
- **Classical and Historical Languages**: Latin, Old English, and Modern Greek.
- **Constructed and Auxiliary Languages**: Esperanto (including the "16 Rules of Esperanto"), Lingua Franca Nova, Interlingue, Ido, and the fictional Klingon language (documented in *The Klingon Dictionary*).
- **Other Specific Grammars**: Icelandic, Yiddish, Modern Standard Tibetan, and Welsh.

### Notable Figures in Grammar
The development and study of grammar have involved numerous notable figures throughout history:
- **Sibawayh**: A Persian grammarian from Basra (c.760–796).
- **Chao Yuen Ren**: A Chinese-American linguist and educator (1892–1982).
- **Noël François de Wailly**: A French grammarian and lexicographer.
- **Joseph Kimhi**: A French rabbi and grammarian.
- **Judah ben David Hayyuj**: A 10th-century Moroccan Jewish linguist.
- **Apion**: A 1st-century Hellenized Egyptian grammarian.
- **Eberhard of Béthune**: A 13th-century Flemish grammarian.
- **Ibn al-Sikkit**: A 9th-century Arab scholar and grammarian.
- **Vladimir Plungyan**: A Russian linguist.
- **Robert Van Valin**: A linguist known for work in syntax and grammar.
- **Edwin G. Pulleyblank**: A Canadian sinologist.
- **Charles Camproux**: A French linguist.
- **Evanildo Bechara**: A Brazilian teacher and grammarian.
- **Halyna Hnatyuk**: A Soviet/Ukrainian linguist.
- **Gregory Magistros**: An Armenian prince, linguist, and scholar.
- **Arakel Syunetsi**: An Armenian archbishop and scholar.
- **Taftazani**: A Persian theologian, literary figure, and philosopher (1322-1390).
- **Sa'id ibn Aws al-Ansari**: A linguist and narrator of hadith.
- **Esayi Nchʻetsʻi**: A philosopher and grammarian.
- **Movses Kertogh**: An Armenian grammarian.
- **Virgil of Toulouse**: An Irish writer and grammarian.

### Key Works and Publications
Several specific works serve as definitive grammatical references:
- **The Klingon Dictionary**: A non-fiction work by Marc Okrand describing the grammar of the Klingon language.
- **16 Rules of Esperanto**: The foundational grammatical rules for the Esperanto language.
- **Nannūl**: A Tamil grammar book.

## References

1. [Nuovo soggettario](https://thes.bncf.firenze.sbn.it/termine.php?id=2225)
2. Nuovo soggettario
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. BBC Things
5. YSO-Wikidata mapping project
6. BabelNet
7. [Grammar](https://www.reddit.com/r/grammar/)
8. National Library of Israel
9. KBpedia
10. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)