grammar

Overview

Meaning Now

• The system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology.
• A person's usage of the rules of a language, whether spoken or written.

Journey

In the Middle Ages, 'grammar' was one of the seven liberal arts. Because the study of Latin grammar was so complex and restricted to scholars, the word also took on the secondary meaning of 'occult knowledge' or 'magic' (which eventually evolved into the word 'glamour').

Evolution

1. Ancient Greek

   grammatike

   “related to letters or writing”

2. Latin

   grammatica

   “philology, grammar”

3. Old French

   gramaire

   “grammar, learning, occult knowledge”

   Associated with magic due to the exclusivity of formal education.

4. Middle English

   gramere

   “the study of language”

5. Modern English

   grammar

   “system of linguistic rules”

Connections

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