Formal English Grammar as a Discipline
Thomas H. Briggs · Teachers College Record The Voice of Scholarship in Education · 1913
many centuries-indeed, it has not even yet been entirely driven forth.But in Greece, grammar acquired a large meaning and a practical value.As one of the Seven Liberal Arts it included first and last even more than we understand now by language and literature.In its narrow sense it was used practically by the Sophists to aid them in their rhetorical contests ; in its compre- hensive sense, by all Greek scholars to instruct the youth in culture.As a practical study grammar was introduced into Rome primarily that scholars might learn the Greek language and participate in the literature which it had been used to express.This practical value, prominent throughout the Hellenistic period (from 200 B.C. to 100 A.D.), was emphasized by Dionysius Thrax, who in the first prechristian century wrote for Romans his Greek grammar.This became the basis of several grammars of the Latin tongue; the adapting authors, anticipating their English descendants, not only misunderstood and mistranslated their originals, but failed to realize that the grammar of one language is not identical with that of another.Partly as a result of this artificiality, grammar must have readily shared in the degenera- tion of all intellectual life after the time of Suetonius, retaining only its form.This, however, was assiduously studied.At first the Christian Church had no interest in grammar, rejecting it along with everything else pagan.But after the church felt itself secure, especially as it recognized the need of organized linguistic facts for the priests who had to learn to read the Scriptures, this hostility slowly dissipated.Then began the general use of two text-books, the " Ars Grammatica Minor," through which Donatus in the fourth century presented the organization of syntax that the systematizing Roman mind had developed, and the " Institutio de Arte," through which Priscian a century later attempted to put the grammar of Latin on the same scientific footing as that of Greek.There was no such agreement, however, regarding content as there was regarding texts.Cassiodorus considered grammar to embrace literature; Isidore of Seville called it " et origo et fundamentum liberalium literarum " ; and Rabanus Maurus repeated the statement adding that it was " scientia interpretandi 253]Formal English Grammar as a Discipline 3 poetas atque historicos et recte scribendi loquendique ratio."But there is evidence that these ideals were not followed in general practice.After Gregory the Great the original interpretation of the study of grammar, according to Mullinger, dwindled to nothing more than a technical knowledge of the Latin language.This was mastered primarily as a means to acquire the universal language of scholars, Alcuin, among others, scrupulously abstains from dwelling on literature as an aspect of grammar.In his " Disputatio " we find how formal a matter he considers it." Grammar is the science of letters, the guardian of language and of correct style.It is founded on nature, reason, authority, and usage.It is divided into 26 ' species ' ; to wit, words, letters, syllables, clauses, sayings, speeches, definitions,