Formal grammars are explicit systems of symbols and rules that characterize the well-formed strings of a language by specifying how linguistic units can be combined or derived according to defined constraints [1][2]. In a formal representation, a grammar is typically specified by a finite set of terminal symbols, a set of nonterminal symbols, a set of production rules, and a designated start symbol; the strings derivable from the start symbol determine the language generated by that grammar [1]. Formal grammars differ in the constraints imposed on their production rules and consequently in the classes of languages they can generate; they are therefore a family of formally specified grammatical systems rather than a single grammatical model [1][2].
Linguistics and Language Analysis • Language and Linguistics • Arts and Humanities • Social Sciences