grammar English · revision 7070

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1362|origins=grc γραμματική}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɡɹæm.ɚ/; /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English gramere, [[bor|xno|gramere]], Old French gramaire, grammaire,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) an irregular semi-popular adoption of [[la|grammatica]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from Greek [[m|grc|γραμματική|tr=grammatikḗ|t=the art of letters]], the feminine of grammatikós, of letters, from [[m|grc|γράμμα|tr=grámma|t=letter, something written]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(NODE 1998) from the stem of gráphein, to write.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The study of Latin grammar: 1362 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline;^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) earlier as the surname Gramaire, a grammarian or scholar (1176).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Latin and Greek the word was much broader, covering philology and literature; its restriction to the rules of a language is post-classical.^(Etymonline) Until the 16th century it meant only Latin grammar; it was applied to English by the late 16th century, and to rules of a language that speakers must follow from the 1580s.^(Etymonline) A treatise on grammar is from the 1520s.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) In the Middle Ages ''learning'' was associated with astrology and magic, hence the secondary sense ''occult knowledge'' (late 15th century), which in Scots became [[glamour]].^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) A ''grammar school'' (late 14th century) was originally a school for learning Latin.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1176 – Gramaire, a surname.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1362 – Latin grammar.^(OED 1989)

+ * late 14th century – grammar school.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 15th century – occult knowledge.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1520s – a grammar book.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 16th century – English grammar.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The whole system and structure of a language, especially its [[syntax]] and [[morphology]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The study of this system.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A person's use of the rules of grammar: ''poor grammar''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A book on grammar.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The basic principles of an art or science.^(MW Collegiate)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[grammarian]]

+ * [[grammarless]]

+ * [[case grammar]]

+ * [[categorial grammar]]

+ * [[relational grammar]]

+ * [[generative grammar]]

+ * [[grammar school]]

+ * [[transformational grammar]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[glamour]]

+ * [[gramarye]]

+ * [[grammatical]]

+ * [[-gram]]

+ * [[graph]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}