syntax

     

In linguistics, syntax (from Ancient Greek συν- syn-, "together", an τάξις táxis, "arrangement") is the study of the principles and rules for constructing sentences in natural languages. In addition to referring to the discipline, the term syntax is also used to refer directly to the rules and principles that govern the sentence structure of any individual language, as in "the syntax of Modern Irish". Modern research in syntax attempts to describe languages in terms of such rules. Many professionals in this discipline attempt to find general rules that apply to all natural languages. The term syntax is also sometimes used to refer to the rules governing the behavior of mathematical systems, such as logic, artificial formal languages, and computer programming languages.

Trivia about syntax

  • Considered part of grammar, it's the study of the interrelation of words in a sentence
  • It's the arrangement of the relationship among words in a sentence, or the study of it
  • The pattern of formation of sentences or phrases in a language
  • Sentence diagrams visually represent this, the way words are arranged & relate within sentences