gramatical

Forms

gramatical m or f (plural gramaticais)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin grammaticālis (“of grammar”).^[2][3][1] Nascentes calls it semi-learned.^[4] The Latin adjective is formed from grammatica (“grammar”) with -ālis, and the noun goes back through grammaticus to Ancient Greek γραμματικός (grammatikós).^[1] Within Portuguese it can be read as gramática with the suffix -al, and DELPo compares French grammatical.^[1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss's first record is from 1540, in the plural grammaticães;^[6] Cunha also has this plural in the 16th century.^[2][3] Bluteau (1712–1728) glosses grammatical as “concerning grammar”.^[6]

Semantic evolution

From “relating to grammar” the word came to mean “in accordance with the rules of grammar”, a sense the dictionaries give alongside the first.^[7][8] Linguistics added the sense “relating to the structure of a language”, opposed to lexical, and “well formed by the rules of a grammar”, opposed to agramatical.^[2][8] Bluteau spells it grammatical; the modern dictionaries write gramatical.^[6][9]

Timeline

• 1540 – first record, in the plural grammaticães.^[2]
• 1712–1728 – Bluteau enters grammatical.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or relating to grammar.^[2][7][8]
2. Relating to the structure of a language, its units, categories and functions, as opposed to the lexical: análise gramatical.^[2][10]
3. In accordance with the rules of grammar; correct.^[2][7][8]
4. (linguistics) well-formed according to the rules of a grammar.^[2][8]

Word family

• agramatical
• gramaticalidade
• gramaticalismo
• gramaticalizar
• gramaticalmente

Related words

• gramática
• gramático
• Latin grammaticālis

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. gramatical
3. ^ a b Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. gramatical
4. ^ Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. gramatical
5. ^ NEHiLP – Núcleo de Apoio à Pesquisa em Etimologia e História da Língua Portuguesa, Universidade de São Paulo, DELPo: Dicionário Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa (online database), p. s.v. gramatical
6. ^ a b c d Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. grammatical
7. ^ a b c Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. gramatical
8. ^ a b c d e Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. gramatical
9. ^ Aulete, Francisco Júlio Caldas, Dicionário contemporâneo da língua portuguesa (1st ed. 1881), online as Aulete Digital, Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, https://aulete.com.br, p. s.v. gramatical
10. ^ Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. gramatical