descriptive linguistics

descriptive linguistics

n

(Linguistics) (functioning as singular) the study of the description of the internal phonological, grammatical, and semantic structures of languages at given points in time without reference to their histories or to one another Also called synchronic linguistics Compare historical linguistics

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

descriptive linguistics - a description (at a given point in time) of a language with respect to its phonology and morphology and syntax and semantics without value judgments linguistics - the scientific study of language grammar - the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics) phonemics, phonology - the study of the sound system of a given language and the analysis and classification of its phonemes morphophonemics - the study of the phonological realization of the allomorphs of the morphemes of a language derivation - (descriptive linguistics) the process whereby new words are formed from existing words or bases by affixation; "`singer' from `sing' or `undo' from `do' are examples of derivations" prescriptive linguistics - an account of how a language should be used instead of how it is actually used; a prescription for the `correct' phonology and morphology and syntax and semantics