participle
|par-ti-ci-ple|
🇺🇸
/ˈpɑːrtɪsɪpəl/
🇬🇧
/ˈpɑːtɪsɪpəl/
a verb form that partakes of verb and adjective
Etymology
'participle' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'participium', where the root was related to 'part-' meaning 'part' or 'share' and the element related to 'capere' meant 'to take' (giving the sense 'partaking').
'participle' changed from Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'participium' and passed through Old French/Anglo-Norman forms into Middle English as 'participe' or similar forms and eventually became the modern English 'participle'.
Initially it referred to the idea of 'partaking' or 'sharing' (a part-taking), and it evolved into a grammatical term for a verb form that 'takes part' in both verbal and adjectival functions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a form of a verb used either as an adjective or to form compound verb tenses (commonly classified as present participle and past participle).
The present participle of "run" is "running" and the past participle is "run".
Synonyms
Noun 2
specifically, the present participle: the -ing form of a verb used in continuous tenses or as an adjective.
In the sentence "The running water is cold," "running" is a present participle used adjectivally.
Synonyms
Noun 3
specifically, the past participle: a verb form often used in perfect tenses or as an adjective (commonly irregular or -ed forms).
The past participle of "write" is "written".
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to or having the nature of a participle (often used in linguistic description).
A participle clause can provide background information in a sentence.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/05 22:15