Definition:Metalanguage/Metasymbol
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Definition
A metasymbol is a symbol used in a metalanguage to represent an arbitrary collation in the object language.
Metasymbols are deliberately taken from a set of symbols that are not in the alphabet of the object language in question.
On $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$, metasymbols are usually taken from any of:
- uppercase letters: $P, Q, R, \ldots$ and subscripted versions: $P_1, P_2, \ldots$
- the Greek alphabet: $\phi, \chi, \psi, \ldots$ and their subscripted versions: $\phi_1, \phi_2, \ldots$
- uppercase bold: $\mathbf A, \mathbf B, \mathbf C, \ldots$ and their subscripted versions: $\mathbf A_1, \mathbf A_2, \ldots$
Which system is in use on a particular page depends to a certain extent on the nature of the source work which has inspired it.
Also see
Altenative terms for a metasymbol are:
- metalogical variable
- metalogical symbol
- metasyntactic variable[1].
References
- ↑ As immortalized by Terry Pratchett in Men at Arms: the dog Gaspode says, "Clothing has never been what you might call a thingy of dog wossname." Then he adds: "Two metasyntactic variables there. Sorry."
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
- 1965: E.J. Lemmon: Beginning Logic ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $2$: The Propositional Calculus $2$: $1$ Formation Rules