Grammatiser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A teacher of grammar, or a person who is excessively fussy about the rules of grammatical correctness
2. Someone who instructs others in the rules of language, often in a rigid or pedantic manner
3. A pedant obsessed with grammatical rules, or a schoolmaster who teaches the principles of grammar

Etymology: In ancient Athens, the "grammatistes" was the humblest of schoolmasters, the man who taught children their letters. He ranked below the "grammatikos," the scholar who studied literature and language. Both titles came from "gramma," meaning letter or written mark, but they described very different jobs. English took the Greek term through Latin "grammatista," and English writers used "grammatist" for a dull teacher of rudiments or a pedantic stickler for rules. The form with the "-er" ending is an English variant, most likely formed on the model of "grammatist" with the common agent suffix. It is a rare, obsolete form, so its exact first appearance is uncertain, but it carries the same sense: someone who pedantically teaches or polices the mechanics of writing.