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Glite Dictionary
syntax language

syntax language

8.0
A formal set of rules used to describe how a human or computer language is built
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪn.tæks ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lenguaje de sintaxis
  • The compiler relies on a syntax language to interpret programming instructions accurately.

Examples

  • Researchers developed a new syntax language to simplify the description of complex grammar rules.

  • Learning a syntax language can help you understand how computers process human languages.

  • A syntax language defines rules.

  • The syntax language defines the structure of programming languages.

  • Learning a syntax language can help you understand how computers process human languages.

  • Researchers developed a new syntax language to simplify the description of complex grammar rules.

  • The compiler relies on a syntax language to interpret programming instructions accurately.

Surface Forms

syntax language singular
syntax languages plural

Morphology

syntax + language

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'syntax' (set of rules) modifying 'language' (a system), yielding 'a language of syntax' or a language used to express syntactic rules. This noun+noun modifier pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Syntax language comes from a simple image: syntax means the order of words and language is the system of words, so it is like a 'recipe' that tells you where words belong. That's why it means 'a language used to describe grammar rules'.