Class 2: An Introduction to Grammar and Grammars: Traditional Grammar

FM Language

25 Aug 201804:06

Summary

TLDRThis video explores traditional grammar, tracing its roots back to Aristotle and emphasizing its descriptive nature over prescriptive. It contrasts with generative grammar by focusing on specific languages' grammars rather than a universal one. Traditional grammar examines intraclausal relationships, like subject-predicate, and interclausal relationships, including coordination and subordination. The video promises to delve into the differences between these concepts in future classes.

Takeaways

📚 Traditional grammar is influenced by various schools of grammar and linguistics over the years.
👴 It dates back to Aristotle, who was among the first to define the sentence into subject and predicate.
🌐 Traditional grammar is descriptive, focusing on what different languages look like, not prescriptive about what should or shouldn't be said.
🔍 It is concerned with the description of specific grammars, such as English, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese, rather than a universal grammar.
🔄 Traditional grammarians describe 'intra-clausal' relationships, which are the relationships inside the clause.
🔗 It also describes 'inter-clausal' relationships, which are the relationships between clauses.
📝 'Intra-clausal' relationships involve functions like subject and predicate that constitute the sentence.
🔄 'Inter-clausal' relationships can be either coordination (e.g., 'She arrived and I left') or subordination (e.g., 'She left when I arrived').
📈 The script mentions that traditional grammar will be compared with generative grammar in future classes.
👍 The speaker encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and share the video to support the channel's growth.

Q & A

What is traditional grammar?
-Traditional grammar is a descriptive approach to language that has evolved over the years with influences from various schools of grammar and linguistics. It dates back to Aristotle and focuses on describing the structure of different languages rather than prescribing what should or should not be said.
Who was the first thinker to define the sentence into subject and predicate?
-Aristotle was the first thinker to define the sentence into subject and predicate.
What is the primary focus of traditional grammarians?
-Traditional grammarians focus on describing the grammar of specific languages, such as English, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese, rather than a universal grammar.
What is the difference between descriptive and prescriptive grammar?
-Descriptive grammar describes the actual usage of language, while prescriptive grammar dictates how language should be used.
What does 'intra-clausal' mean in the context of traditional grammar?
-In traditional grammar, 'intra-clausal' refers to the relationships that exist within a clause, such as the relationship between the subject and the predicate.
What functions constitute a sentence according to traditional grammar?
-According to traditional grammar, the functions that constitute a sentence include the subject noun phrase and the predicate phrase, where the subject is realized by a category that functions as a head of the subject and the predicate is headed by a verb.
What are the two types of relationships described by traditional grammar?
-Traditional grammar describes two types of relationships: coordination and subordination.
Can you provide an example of coordination in a sentence?
-An example of coordination is 'She arrived and I left,' where two clauses are joined by the conjunction 'and.'
Can you provide an example of subordination in a sentence?
-An example of subordination is 'She left when I arrived,' where one clause is dependent on another.
What is the role of a verb in a sentence according to traditional grammar?
-In traditional grammar, a verb typically heads the predicate of a sentence and is essential for the sentence's structure.
What will be discussed in the next class according to the script?
-In the next class, the basics of generative grammar will be discussed.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Traditional Grammar

The video begins by introducing the concept of traditional grammar, which has evolved over time with influences from various linguistic schools. It traces its origins back to Aristotle, who first defined the sentence structure into subject and predicate. The presenter clarifies that traditional grammar is descriptive, focusing on what languages are like rather than prescriptive rules on what should be said. Unlike generative grammar, which explores universal grammar (UG), traditional grammar is concerned with specific languages' grammars, such as English, Spanish, or Chinese. The video outlines the two types of relationships traditional grammar describes: intraclausal (within the clause) and interclausal (between clauses), including coordination and subordination. The presenter promises to delve into the differences between these concepts in future classes.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Traditional Grammar

Traditional Grammar refers to a system of linguistic analysis that has evolved over centuries, influenced by various schools of thought including Aristotle's work on sentence structure. In the video, it is described as a descriptive grammar that outlines the characteristics of different languages, rather than prescribing how language should be used. It is contrasted with generative grammar, which seeks to explain a universal grammar underlying all languages.

💡Descriptive Grammar

Descriptive Grammar is a type of linguistic analysis that documents and describes the actual usage of language as it is spoken and written. In the script, it is mentioned that traditional grammar is descriptive, meaning it focuses on what languages are like in reality, rather than dictating how they should be.

💡Aristotle

Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, is noted in the script as one of the first thinkers to define the sentence structure into subject and predicate. His work laid foundational concepts that influenced the development of traditional grammar.

💡Generative Grammar

Generative Grammar is a theoretical approach to linguistics that aims to describe the underlying rules and principles of language that allow humans to generate an infinite number of sentences. The script contrasts this with traditional grammar, highlighting that generative grammarians are concerned with explaining one universal grammar, whereas traditional grammarians focus on specific languages.

💡UG (Universal Grammar)

Universal Grammar (UG) is a hypothetical system of rules and principles that underlies all human language, as mentioned in the script. It is a concept in generative grammar that suggests all humans are born with an innate ability to understand and produce language.

💡Intra-clausal Relationships

Intra-clausal Relationships refer to the connections that exist within a single clause or sentence. The script explains that traditional grammar describes these relationships, such as the connection between the subject and predicate, which are essential components of a sentence.

💡Inter-clausal Relationships

Inter-clausal Relationships are the connections that exist between clauses. The video script mentions that traditional grammar also describes these relationships, which can be either of subordination or coordination, providing the framework for how clauses can be combined in complex sentences.

💡Subordination

Subordination in grammar refers to the relationship where one clause is dependent on another. The script uses the example 'she left when I arrived' to illustrate how one event ('I arrived') is dependent on another ('she left'), showing the hierarchical nature of clauses in a sentence.

💡Coordination

Coordination is a grammatical relationship where two or more elements of the same type are connected without subordination. The script provides the example 'she arrived and I left', indicating that both actions are of equal importance and neither is dependent on the other.

💡Predicate

The Predicate in a sentence is the part that contains the verb and provides information about what the subject is doing or what is happening to the subject. The script explains that in traditional grammar, the predicate is one of the functions that constitute a sentence, headed by a verb.

💡Subject

The Subject of a sentence is the person, thing, or idea that is doing or being described by the verb. The script mentions that the subject is realized by a noun phrase that functions as the head of the subject, and it is one of the key components in the intra-clausal relationships described by traditional grammar.

Highlights

Traditional grammar has its roots in historical linguistics and has been influenced by various schools of thought.

Aristotle was the first to define the sentence into subject and predicate.

Traditional grammar is descriptive, not prescriptive.

Traditional grammar focuses on the description of multiple languages, not just one.

Generative grammarians are concerned with universal grammar, unlike traditional grammarians.

Traditional grammarians describe specific grammars such as English, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.

Traditional grammar describes the relationships inside the clause.

Intra-clausal relationships are the internal relationships between subject and predicate.

The predicate is made up of functions that constitute the sentence.

Intra-clausal relationships involve categories such as subject noun phrase and adverbial phrase.

Inter-clausal relationships are between clauses A and B, C, etc.

There are two types of inter-clausal relationships: coordination and subordination.

Coordination involves clauses like 'She arrived and I left'.

Subordination involves clauses like 'She left when I arrived'.

The difference between subordination and coordination will be explained in future classes.

The key concepts of traditional grammar are introduced.

The next class will discuss the basics of generative grammar.

Encouragement to like, subscribe, and share the video for growth.