participle

[ pahr-tuh-sip-uhl ]

noun

, Grammar.

1. a form derived from a verb, used in English as an adjective to express participation in the action or state of the verb, or combined with an auxiliary verb to construct any of various tenses, as in a burning candle, a known fact, I am freezing, She has gone: a participle does not specify person or number, but may have a subject or object, show tense, etc.

participle

/ pɑːˈtɪsɪpəl; ˌpɑːtɪˈsɪpɪəl; ˈpɑːtɪsɪpəl /

noun

1. See past participle, present participle
   a nonfinite form of verbs, in English and other languages, used adjectivally and in the formation of certain compound tenses See also present participle past participle

participle

1. 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.”

Grammar Note

See dangling participle, misplaced modifier.

Notes

A “dangling” participle is one that is not clearly connected to the word it modifies: “ Standing at the corner, two children walked past me.” A better version of this example would be, “ While I was standing at the corner, two children walked past me.”

Derived Forms

• ˌpartiˈcipially, adverb
• participial, adjectivenoun

Word History and Origins

Origin of participle¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, variant of participe, from Latin participium, derivative of particeps “taking part,” from parti- (stem of pars “piece, portion”; part ) + -ceps “taking” (combining form of capere “to take”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of participle¹

C14: via Old French from Latin participium, from particeps partaker, from pars part + capere to take

Example Sentences

This is the termination of the present participle and verbal adjective derived from verbs in -a.

From Project Gutenberg

Bessoun (in French, besson) means a twin, and the participle expresses the idea, clasped together like twins.

From Project Gutenberg

"Nay, I wanna thinking-g o' that," Ned replied, strongly doubling the "g" that terminated the present participle.

From Project Gutenberg

In this participle the termination -ing seems almost equivalent to that of the past participle: comp.

From Project Gutenberg

Trod (or trodden), past participle of tread: ‘to tread a measure’ is a common expression, meaning ‘to dance.’

From Project Gutenberg