grammatur

Grammatur is a term sometimes encountered in linguistic and philological writings to denote the grammar of a language—the system of rules that governs how words change form and combine to convey meaning. Etymologically, it is related to grammatik and derives from Latin gramma and the German suffix -atur, forming an abstract noun that emphasizes structure over vocabulary.

In usage, Grammatur can refer to the underlying grammatical architecture of a language, including morphology (inflection, word formation), syntax (how words combine and the order of constituents), and agreement patterns (number, gender, tense concord). It is often contrasted with lexicon, which concerns vocabulary, and with the descriptive label Grammatik as a field of study. Some scholarly texts use Grammatur to highlight a language’s rules as a system, rather than as a set of instructional guidelines.

The term is relatively uncommon in modern linguistics, where Grammatik is the prevailing term in German and many other languages, and where the study is framed within specific theories (functional, generative, or typological). When used, Grammatur generally signals a focus on the structural aspects of language rather than on practical or prescriptive grammar. See also grammar, morphology, syntax, linguistics.