Ungrammaticalize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To transform a phrase or sentence so that it violates rules of grammar
2. To alter language structure in a way that breaks grammatical correctness
3. To change a construction such that it no longer follows accepted grammar norms

Etymology: "Ungrammaticalize" is built from "grammatical," the adjective from "grammar," plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize" ("make into"), giving "grammaticalize." The prefix "un-" reverses the action. The verb is a rare variant of the more common "degrammaticalize," and both are used in linguistics. The everyday gloss "break grammar rules" is a loose reading. In linguistics, the verb describes a form that had become a grammatical marker, such as an auxiliary or an affix, regaining the fuller lexical meaning it once had. It names the reverse of grammaticalization, the process by which an ordinary content word gradually takes on a grammatical job.

Synonyms: invalidate grammar, make ungrammatical

Antonyms: grammaticalize, correct