Definition

Noun: A syntax language is a formal language specifically designed to define or describe the grammatical structure (syntax) of another language. It provides a set of rules and notations for specifying how valid statements or programs in the target language are constructed.

Usage

A syntax language is a tool used in computer science and linguistics to formally specify the rules of another language. It is not used for general communication but for precise, technical description.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Backus-Naur Form (BNF) is a classic syntax language for defining programming language grammars.
  • The developer used a specialized syntax language to document the new protocol's command structure.

Advanced Usage

• Metalanguage: A syntax language is a type of —a language used to talk about another language.
  • XML Schema is a syntax language that serves as a metalanguage for describing valid XML document structures.

Variants and Related Words

• Metalanguage (n): A language or symbolic system used to discuss, analyze, or describe another language.
• Grammar (n): The whole system and structure of a language, which a syntax language aims to formally describe.

Synonyms

• Formal specification language
• Grammar description language

Related Terms

• Syntax (n): The set of rules that defines the structure of statements in a language, which is the object being described.
• Parser generator (n): A tool that often takes input defined in a syntax language to automatically create a parser for the target language.

Noun

1. a language used to describe the syntax of another language