5 Questions
What is syntax the study of in linguistics?
How words and morphemes combine to form larger units such as phrases and sentences
What is the etymology of the word 'syntax'?
Comes from Ancient Greek roots: σύνταξις 'coordination', which consists of σύν syn, 'together', and τάξις táxis, 'ordering'
What is one basic description of a language's syntax?
The sequence in which the subject (S), verb (V), and object (O) usually appear in sentences
What percentage of languages usually place the subject first in a sentence?
Over 85%
What are some of the possible sequences of subject, verb, and object in a sentence?
SVO, SOV, VSO, VOS, OVS, and OSV
Study Notes
Syntax in Linguistics
- Syntax is the study of how words are combined to form phrases, clauses, and sentences in a language.
Etymology of 'Syntax'
- The word 'syntax' comes from the Greek words 'syn' meaning 'together' and 'taxis' meaning 'arrangement'.
Language Syntax
- A basic description of a language's syntax is the rules governing the combination of words to convey meaning.
Sentence Structure
- In approximately 75% of languages, the subject typically comes first in a sentence.
- Possible sequences of subject, verb, and object in a sentence include:
- SVO (Subject-Verb-Object): e.g., "The dog chases the ball."
- SOV (Subject-Object-Verb): e.g., "The dog the ball chases."
- VSO (Verb-Subject-Object): e.g., "Chases the dog the ball."
Test your knowledge of linguistics with this syntax quiz! Explore concepts such as word order, grammatical relations, sentence structure, agreement, and crosslinguistic variation. Challenge yourself with questions about the relationship between form and meaning.
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