(PG = Prescriptive Grammar  —  DG = Descriptive Grammar)

(GL = Grammatical Lingo  —  OB = Obtuse  —  NG = Not Grammatical)

• N, n  —  [PG]  The Letter “N” Is The Fourteenth Letter Of The English Alphabet.  It Is Also The Eleventh Consonant In The English Alphabet.

• Name  —  [PG]  The Term “Name” is the Grammatical Term for a Word that is used to describe something which is a “Proper Noun”.  However this truth has many levels, because a “Name” is the Word that describes a specific thing out of many others similar to it.  But then — it can keep getting more and more specific for however long you can handle it.

For Example:  “Mammal” is the Name for the types of creatures on planet earth that give birth to their young, without the use of eggs — and which feed it’s young with milk that it produces itself…  But there are many different types of mammals as well.

“Human” is the Name for the type of “mammal” that we all are — you and I — I who am writing this, and you (probably) who are reading this.

“Male” is the Name for the specific sex of the “human mammals” which do not bare the it’s young, but provides the seed for the egg — and usually provides the external sustenance for life, while the female — who bares the young — usually provides the constant care, and even the milk to feed the young in it’s early stages of development…  (at least, they SHOULD be providing their own milk if they want their baby to be healthy.)

And “The Teacher” is the Name of the “Male Human Mammal” who is writing the Words on this page.  But even still…  He has yet more Names.

The difference between a Name & a Word (because a “Name” is a type of “Word”) is — specificity.  A Word is the most broad & general.  A Name is the most detailed & specific.  To get more specific — it is necessary to use Adjectives.

But this is only for Proper Nouns.  For Common Nouns — instead of Names — we use Terms.

• Native English Speaker  —  [NG]  The Term “Native English Speaker” is not a Grammatical Term.  It is Grammatical Lingo which is used to refer to a person whose native Language is English.

• Negative  —  [NG]  The Term “Negative” — alone — is not a Grammatical Term.  But it is used to refer to any Statement which is NOT true.  In The English Language, this is usually indicated by the Words “No”, or “Not”, etc. — or a Negative Prefix:  “Un-“, “Non-“, etc.

• Neologism  —  [NG]  The Term “Neologism” is not a Grammatical Term.  It is a Linguistic Term which is used to describe any Word, Term, Name, or Phrase which has been “Newly” (“Neo-“) created.

• Non-Countable Noun  —  [DG]  The Term “Non-Countable Noun” is the PROPER & CORRECT Common Tongue Grammatical Term for what — in Traditional Grammar — is referred-to as an “Un-Countable Noun”.

It is a Noun which can NOT be counted — because when it increases or decreases, it does-so in Mass, Scale, or Volume.  This is as-opposed-to a Countable Noun which CAN be counted — because when it increases or decreases, it does-so in Number.

In British-English, this is often referred-to as a “Non-Count Noun” or a “Mass Noun”.  But neither of these Terms are Logically or Grammatically correct.  And although it is better — even the Traditional Grammatical Term of “Un-Countable Noun” — although it is better than its British-English alternatives — is still not correct.

This is because the Prefix “Un-“ is used to indicate the reversal of something, or the making of it into its opposite.  While the Prefix “Non-“ simply means “Not”.  And without the “-able” Suffix, it is also not correct, because something can not be “NOT a verb” (as “Non-Count” implies).  That is why The Common Tongue Term of “Non-Countable Noun” is the Proper & Correct Term.

• Non-Definite Article  —  [PG]  The Term “Non-Definite Article” is the more logical and more correct Term for what — in Traditional Grammar — is referred to as the “Indefinite Article”.

The reason that the Term “Indefinite Article” is not used in The Grammar Of The Common Tongue is because the Prefix “In-“ has been thoroughly corrupted by having too many contradictory Meanings & Usages.

• Non-Defining Clause  —  [DG]  The Term “Non-Defining Clause” is used to refer to a type of Subordinate Clause which gives information about a Noun with-in the Sentence — but which in NOT “Defining”;  It is not necessary information.

A Non-Defining Clause is IS separated by Commas (a Defining Clause Is).  And the Sentence would not be complete without the Clause.

• Non-Defining Relative Clause  —  [DG]  The Term “Non-Defining Relative Clause” is used to refer to a type of Subordinate Clause which is “Related” to a Noun in the Sentence and gives information about that Noun — but that information is NOT “Defining”.  It gives information about that Noun which is NOT necessary.

A Non-Defining Relative Clause IS separated by Commas (a Defining Relative Clause Is Not) — because the Sentence could not be complete without the Clause.

However — since there is no such thing as a “Non-Defining Clause” which is NOT “Relative” to the Noun which it is describing (because that makes no sense) — and because there are no other types of “Non-Defining Clauses” — anywhere in English Grammar — then the use of the Word “Relative” within the Term is Redundant.

There-fore — In The Grammar Of The Common Tongue — it is simply called a “Non-Defining Clause”.

• Non-Finite Verb  —  [OB]  The Term “Non-Finite Verb” is used any Verb which is appearing in a Clause or Sentence which is not the Finite Verb.  And what that means, is it is any Verb which is NOT the Main Verb, and therefore, does not represent the “Action” of the Sentence.  These are Auxiliary Verbs, Gerunds, Infinitives, & Participles

And since there are already Grammatical Terms to describe these types of Verbs, then this is a useless Grammatical Term which is Obtuse, and is therefore Grammatical Dross.  It does not help you to Comprehend & Communicate in The English Language

• Non-Gradable Adjective  —  [DG]  The Term “Non-Gradable Adjective” is used to refer to an Adjective which can not be Modified by the use of any other Adjectives — like “Very”, “So”, “Competely”, etc..

For Example:  Adjectives which represent pure scientific states, like “Frozen” or “Boiling” — Or non-specific quantities like “A Lot”

• Non-Inflected Language  —  [OB]  The Term “Non-Inflected Language” is used to describe something which does not exist.  Because ALL human Languages have some degree of Inflection.  Therefore — This Term is Obtuse.

• Non-Restrictive Relative Clause  —  [OB]  The Term “Non-Restrictive Relative Clause” is supposedly just another name for a Non-Defining Relative Clause.  Or more appropriately — Non-Defining Clause (as ALL Non-Defining Clauses are “Relative” to the thing which they are “defining”).

However — since the use of the Word “Restrictive” makes no logical sense — this Term is Obtuse, and is Grammatical Dross.

• Non-Rhotic R  —  [NG]  The Term “Non-Rhotic R” is not a Grammatical Term.  It is a Linguistic Term used to refer to The Letter “R” when it is NOT pronounced like The Letter “R” — as in British-English, when The Letter “R” is at the end of a Word.

• Noun  —  [PG]  The  Term “Noun” is one of the Base Grammatical Units in The Grammar Of The Common Tongue.  Nouns are Words which represent a Person, Place, Animal, Object, Phenomenon, Event, or Idea  (all of which can be broadly and loosely referred to as “things”).

In Traditional Grammar — they are referred to as one of the “Parts Of Speech” or “Word Classes”.

In The Grammar Of The Common Tongue — The Terms “Parts Of Speech” & “Word Classes” are not used, due to their wholly imperfect nature.  Instead, we use the term “Grammatical Unit”.  And more-specifically “Base Grammatical Unit”.

• Noun-Phrase  —  [PG]  The  Term “Noun-Phrase” is used to refer to any Phrase that Functions As a Noun with-in a Clause or Sentence.

• Number  —  [PG]  The  Term “Number” (when the Number is in it’s Word Form) is one of the Base Grammatical Units which is used to refer to the amount of something.

• Number-Phrase  —  [PG]  The  Term “Number-Phrase” is used to refer to any Phrase that Functions As a Number with-in a Clause or Sentence.

• Numeral  —  [NG]  The Word “Numeral” — alone — is not a Grammatical Term.  It is simply a Term which describes the Symbol Form of a Number;  Not it’s Word Form.

• Numerical  —  [NG]  The Word “Numerical” — alone — is not a Grammatical Term.  It is simply an Adjective which is used to refer anything that has a Number value or is related to Numbers.