| parts of speech |
| Definition:
According to traditional English grammar — which is modelled on Latin Grammar, which was modelled on Greek grammar — English has eight types of words: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. These constitute the parts of speech. Note: Modern linguists finds this classification model insufficient and simplistic — some even think it's dopey — but it is still an extremely popular way of analyzing and discussing the English language. |
| Etymology:
The phrase part of speech was coined in the 16th century. It was a translation of the Latin pars orationis, a part of discourse. The Latin phrase was itself a translation of the Greek meros tes lexeos (Aristotle's term) and meros logou (the Grammarian Dionysius Thrax's term). Note: The notion that there are eight categories of speech originates from a list made by Dionysius Thrax in about 100 BCE. Thus, the original eight parts of speech were suited to Greek, not to Latin or English. |