descriptive linguistics

Definitions of descriptive linguistics

1. noun

   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
   antonyms:

   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

   types:

   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

   descriptive grammar

   a grammar that is produced by descriptive linguistics

   prescriptive grammar

   a grammar that is produced by prescriptive linguistics

   syntax

   the study of the rules for forming admissible sentences

   orthoepy

   a term formerly used for the part of phonology that dealt with the `correct' pronunciation of words and its relation to `correct' orthography

   morphology

   studies of the rules for forming admissible words

   type of:

   linguistics

   the scientific study of language