diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4740a0d..83fdf2e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ let literal = "$var"
 # or perhaps ` ?
 let formatted = f"$var"
 
+# these are builtin commands rather than syntax structures (unlike let/while etc)
+# they simply accept arguments and work with them as with any other
+# builtin commands accept structures rather than strings
 test 1 = 1
 # perhaps (( x )) could be used for math expressions?
 # basically just alias to (calc x)
diff --git a/syntax.deg b/syntax.deg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f59db2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syntax.deg
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+
+# also includes quotes and format strings
+STRING = !SPECIALS
+
+NUMBER = 1-9
+ALFA = a-zA-Z
+EOL = \n
+IDENT = ALFA (ALFA | NUMBER)*
+
+VARIABLE = $IDENT
+INDEX = VALUE ( "[" VALUE "]" ) +
+
+PRIMITIVE_VALUES = NUMBER | STRING | VARIABLE | INDEX
+
+# group and object destructors/bindings will be here
+BINDABLE = PRIMITIVE_VALUES
+
+VALUE = PRIMITIVE_VALUES | GROUP
+
+GROUP = "(" COMMAND ")"
+
+COMMAND = ( VALUE WHITESPACE ) +
+
+LET = let BINDABLE = VALUE
+
+FOR = for BINDABLE in VALUE { STATEMENTS }
+IF = if VALUE { STATEMENTS } ( else if VALUE { STATEMENTS } ) * ( else { STATEMENTS } )?
+WHILE = while VALUE { STATEMENTS } ( else { STATEMENTS } )?
+LOOP = loop { STATEMENTS }
+
+STATEMENT = COMMAND | LET | FOR | IF | WHILE | LOOP
+STATEMENTS = ( STATEMENT (; | EOL) )* STATEMENT?
\ No newline at end of file