NONTERMINAL Meaning and
Definition
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Nonterminal is a term primarily used in the field of computer science and mathematics, particularly in the context of formal grammars. It refers to a symbol or entity that can be further expanded or derived into other symbols or entities, ultimately leading to the generation of strings or structures. Nonterminals are one of the fundamental components of a formal grammar, which is a set of rules for generating a language or syntax.
In the context of formal grammars, nonterminals are often represented by uppercase letters or other symbols, and they typically represent syntactic categories or placeholders within a grammar. Nonterminals play a crucial role in the process of defining the rules and structure of a language or syntax. They serve as the starting points or building blocks from which terminal symbols or terminals, which are the actual words or elements of a language, can be derived.
Nonterminals act as placeholders or variables in rules or productions of a grammar. They are used to express the possible combinations or sequences of symbols that can be generated in a language. By applying production rules, nonterminals are recursively expanded until a string or structure of terminals is formed, representing a valid expression or sentence in the language defined by the grammar.
In summary, nonterminals are symbols or entities in a formal grammar that represent syntactic categories or placeholders. They are recursively expanded to derive the actual words or elements of a language, following the rules defined by the grammar.
Common Misspellings for NONTERMINAL
- monterminal
- jonterminal
- honterminal
- ninterminal
- nknterminal
- nlnterminal
- npnterminal
- n0nterminal
- n9nterminal
- nobterminal
- nomterminal
- nojterminal
- nohterminal
- nonrerminal
- nonferminal
- nongerminal
- nonyerminal
- non6erminal
- non5erminal
- nontwrminal
Etymology of NONTERMINAL
The term "nonterminal" originated in the field of computer science and is related to the concept of formal languages and grammars. The word is formed by combining two parts: "non-" and "terminal".
- "Non-" is a prefix derived from the Latin word "non" meaning "not" or "refusal". It is used to indicate negation or absence of something.
- "Terminal" in this context refers to the symbols that cannot be further expanded or replaced in a formal grammar. These symbols represent the final output or end point of a derivation in the grammar.
Therefore, "nonterminal" signifies an element or symbol in a formal grammar that can be replaced or expanded further, distinguishing it from the final output or terminal symbols. It is used to represent variables, placeholders, or intermediate symbols that can be recursively expanded to generate new strings in a formal language.
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