Definition:Metalanguage
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Definition
A metalanguage is a language, either
or:
which is used to make statements about another language.
Formal Systems
In the context of formal systems, a metalanguage is a formal language used to specify another formal language.
Object Language
The object language of a metalanguage is the language described by that metalanguage.
Metasyntax
The syntax of a metalanguage is called a metasyntax of the object language of that metalanguage.
Metasymbol
A metasymbol is a symbol used in a metalanguage to represent an arbitrary collation in the object language.
Also see
- Results about metalanguages can be found here.
Sources
- 1959: A.H. Basson and D.J. O'Connor: Introduction to Symbolic Logic (3rd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 4.2$: The Construction of an Axiom System
- 1989: Ephraim J. Borowski and Jonathan M. Borwein: Dictionary of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): metalanguage
- 1993: M. Ben-Ari: Mathematical Logic for Computer Science ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $2$: Propositional Calculus: $\S 2.4$: Logical equivalence and substitution
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): metalanguage
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): metalanguage