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View synonyms for syntax

syntax

[ sin-taks ]

noun

  1. Rarely . Linguistics.
    1. the study of the rules and patterns by which sentences and phrases are formed in a language.
    2. the rules or patterns so studied:

      Some people find English syntax hard to master.

    3. a presentation of these rules or patterns:

      His syntax of German is famous in the field.

    4. an instance of these rules or patterns:

      The syntax of that sentence is odd.

  2. Computers. the grammatical rules and structural patterns governing the ordered use of appropriate words and symbols for issuing commands, writing code, etc., in a particular software application or programming language.
  3. Logic.
    1. the branch of modern logic that studies the various kinds of signs that occur in a system and the possible arrangements of those signs, without reference to their meaning.
    2. the outcome of such a study when directed upon a specified language.
  4. a system or orderly arrangement.


syntax

/ ˈsɪntæks /

noun

  1. the branch of linguistics that deals with the grammatical arrangement of words and morphemes in the sentences of a language or of languages in general
  2. the totality of facts about the grammatical arrangement of words in a language
  3. a systematic statement of the rules governing the grammatical arrangement of words and morphemes in a language
  4. logic a systematic statement of the rules governing the properly formed formulas of a logical system
  5. any orderly arrangement or system


syntax

  1. The sequence in which words are put together to form sentences. In English, the usual sequence is subject , verb , and object .


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Notes

Syntactic languages, such as English, use word order to indicate word relationships. Inflected languages ( see inflection ), such as Greek and Latin , use word endings and other inflections to indicate relationships.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of syntax1

First recorded in 1565–75; short for earlier syntaxis

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Word History and Origins

Origin of syntax1

C17: from Late Latin syntaxis, from Greek suntaxis, from suntassein to put in order, from syn- + tassein to arrange

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Example Sentences

When it comes to metadata, you need to make sure that the syntax is exact.

As I learned, many language researchers dispute that Koko and other gorillas actually learned sign language, arguing that they didn’t learn its syntax and had instead just mastered a few modified American Sign Language signs.

In many cases, the task a model is trained on does not force it to care about word order or syntax in general.

Tree shaking doesn’t always work well with older libraries due to the moving goalposts of keeping up with modern syntax and coding patterns.

Personally I’ve been doing a lot of work on the relationship between syntax and sociolinguistics.

The style is stuffy, the syntax is antique, and the conceit is never really convincing.

Butler's syntax sometimes gets in the way of understanding what she's asserting as fact.

From the syntax, it's a separate item, as if the requirement for the loyalty oath is law.

Syntax aside, the real consideration is the degree to which Romney can afford to alienate Hispanic Americans.

If you did learn to read it, you would discover the alienness of the syntax and structure.

From these shapeless rudiments we have, it is true, an immense distance to travel before we arrive at syntax.

As between Provençal and French this comparison would be between words, rather than in syntax.

His is ill syntax with heaven; and by unfeared he means unafraid: Words of a quite contrary signification.

It might have invented fresh inflections, and shaped its own syntax.

For the same feature in syntax see the division of simple sentences on p. 252.

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syntalitysyntaxis