participle
- an adjective or complement to certain auxiliaries that is regularly derived from the verb in many languages and refers to participation in the action or state of the verb; a verbal form used as an adjective. It does not specify person or number in English, but may have a subject or object, show tense, etc., as burning, in a burning candle, or devoted in his devoted friend.
Origin of participle
Usage note
Examples from the Web for participle
Historical Examples
The infinitive is often used in poetry after a verb of motion where we should use the present participle.
BeowulfUnknown
The participle may also have the character of an adjective, the adverb either of an adjective or of a preposition.
CratylusPlato
This form of the past participle of the verb to light is now obsolete.
The VerbalistThomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)
Ago is derived from the participle agone, while since comes from a preposition.
The VerbalistThomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)
Flown is the past participle of to fly, and flowed of to flow.
The VerbalistThomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)
participle
- a nonfinite form of verbs, in English and other languages, used adjectivally and in the formation of certain compound tensesSee also present participle, past participle
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for participle
n.
late 14c., "a noun-adjective," from Old French participle (13c.), variant of participe, from Latin participium, literally "a sharing, partaking," from particeps "sharing, partaking" (see participation). In grammatical sense, the Latin translates Greek metokhe "sharer, partaker," and the notion is of a word "partaking" of the nature of both a noun and an adjective.
participle
The verb form that combines with an auxiliary verb to indicate certain tenses.
The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the infinitive; it indicates present action: “The girl is swimming”; “I am thinking.” (Compare gerund.)
The past participle usually ends in -ed; it indicates completed or past action: “The gas station has closed”; “The mayor had spoken.”
Participles may also function as adjectives: “Your mother is a charming person”; “This is a talking parrot”; “Spoken words cannot be revoked.”