Syntax

the "rules" of a language

• the arrangement of elements in phrases and sentences
  • Cogito ergo sum.
    
    
• English has a fairly ridged structure
  • “John and Mary went to the movies.”
  • * “John went to the movies to Mary and.”
    
    
• When a language is more dependent on morphology, syntax may relax
  • e.g., Canis ursum videt ("the dog sees the bear") can be in any position

languistics index page