Prescriptive Linguistics (Noun)
Meaning
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.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The linguistic theorist was criticized for adopting a prescriptive linguistics approach that favored strict grammar rules over colloquial expressions.
- Many language teachers shifted from a prescriptive linguistics approach to a more descriptive one, acknowledging the complexities and variations of everyday speech.
- Prescriptive linguistics promotes adherence to an idealized language standard, often causing tension between this perceived ideal and the reality of language evolution.
- The editor's corrections reflected a prescriptive linguistics perspective, replacing colloquialisms with more formal vocabulary and phrasing.
- Prescriptive linguistics can lead to language purism, where speakers or writers view certain linguistic features as correct while others are deemed inferior.