Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

Find a word or form any language English German Search

prescriptivist en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /pɹiˈskɹɪp.tɪ.vɪst/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹəˈskɹɪp.tɪ.vɪst/

Etymology

Etymology tree English prescriptive Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English prescriptivist From prescriptive + -ist.

Meanings

1. Having a tendency to prescribe.
   • In short, they tend to present Indian English as nothing more than "standard" English with a select collection of lexical peculiarities tacked on, as it were, many of which would be regarded as "errors" by prescriptivist language scholars. 2012, James Lambert, “Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English”, in World Englishes, page 312:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
more prescriptivist	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic
most prescriptivist	Degree=Sup		lexicographic

Antonyms

descriptivistic · descriptivist · descriptionist · descriptionistic

Relateds

prescribe · prescriptivistic · prescriptivism

Synonyms

prescriptivistic · prescriptionistic · prescriptionist

Translations (3)

pl preskryptywistyczny (Translations) · de präskriptivistisch (Translations) · fi preskriptivistinen (Translations)

prescriptivist en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɹiˈskɹɪp.tɪ.vɪst/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹəˈskɹɪp.tɪ.vɪst/

Etymology

Etymology tree English prescriptive Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English prescriptivist From prescriptive + -ist.

Meanings

1. Someone who lays down rules regarding language usage, or who believes that traditional norms of language usage should be upheld.
   • The plutocratic tone and styptic wit of Safire and Newman and the best of the Prescriptivists is often modeled after the mandarin-Brit personas of Eric Partridge and H. W. Fowler, the same Twin Towers of scholarly Prescriptivism whom Garner talks about revering as a kid. 2001 April, David Foster Wallace, “Tense Present: Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage”, in Harper's Magazine:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
prescriptivists	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Antonyms

descriptivist · descriptionist

Relateds

grammarian · prescribe · prescriptivistic · prescriptivism

Synonyms

prescriptionist

Translations (3)

de Präskriptivist (Translations) · pl preskryptywista (Translations) · fi preskriptivisti (Translations)