Word of the Week – Grammar

Last week’s look into mathematics inspired me to look up some other “learning” words too, so I started with one of my favorites: grammar.

If you were to ask me the definition of this word, I’d say off the top of my head something like, “the rules that govern language.” And grammar is my “thing.” Capitalization and punctuation, sentence structure and parts of speech…these are the things at which I’ve always excelled, which is probably no great surprise to anyone. I mean, I make my living with words, after all.

But in fact, that definition is not the original…exactly. When the word grammar came to English from French in the 1300s, it very specifically meant the rules of Latin, not any other language. The original “grammar schools” were where one went to learn Latin. In the US of the 1840 the phrase began to be applied to the level of school between primary and secondary, when English grammar was taught.

What, however, are the roots of grammar? It traces back from French to Latin and all the way to Greek. First to grammatikos, which meant “pertaining to letters or learning.” The root of grammatikos is, in turn, gramma, which means… “Letter.” Makes sense!

Now, here’s a bit of history I didn’t know. When grammar first came into the English language back in that late 14th century, there was another meaning too–it was linked to magic. Grammar could also be used to mean “incantation, spells.” That might seem odd, but remember that this was the Dark Ages, when the “learning” taught to the upper class included astrology and, yes, what was deemed “magic.” While this meaning has fallen away in English, it’s preserved in glamour, which was originally a Scottish variation of the word…which we shall look at in more detail next week.

Word Nerds Merch!