A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

352 particle
The name comes from the way such a word ‘participates’ in the characteristics
of both verb and adjective. It is thus distinct from the traditional notion of
gerund, where a word derived from a verb is used as a noun, as in smoking is
forbidden. In linguistics the term is generally restricted to the non-finite
forms of verbs other than the infinitive, viz. present and past, as in I am going
and I have walked respectively, but, even here, there is a strong tendency to
avoid the use of the traditional labels ‘present’ and ‘past’ participles, with their
Latinate associations of time (inapplicable, for example, in a passive sentence
like I shall be kicked, where the participle can hardly be ‘past’), and to use
instead a neutral set of terms, such as -ing forms or -ED/-EN forms.
particle (n.) (part, PART, Prt, PRT) (1) A term used in grammatical description
to refer to an invariable item with grammatical function, especially one
which does not readily fit into a standard classification of parts of speech. In
English, for example, the marker of the infinitive, to, is often called a particle
because, despite its surface similarity to a preposition, it really has nothing in
common with it. Likewise, the unique characteristics of not have prompted
some to label it a ‘negative particle’, and the units in phrasal verbs are often
called ‘verbal particles’.
(2) A term used in tagmemic analysis to refer to a linguistic unit seen as a
discrete entity, definable in terms of features. It is contrasted with wave
(where the unit’s contextual variability is analysed) and field (where its
distribution is described).
(3) See particle phonology.
particle phonology An approach to phonology which focuses on the analysis
of the internal structure of phonological segments. For example, in the analysis
of vowels, three privative features (particles) are recognized – [a] representing
openness, [i] representing frontness, and [u] representing rounding – and
segments are seen to be composed of one or more particles. An [e] vowel, for
example, would be analysed as a combination of [i] + [a]. The approach is
similar to that used in dependency phonology, though differences include
the number of primitives recognized and the treatment of vowel height. The
approach claims to have advantages in the handling of such processes as assimilation
and the relationship between monophthongs and diphthongs.
partitive (adj./n.) (part, PART) A term used in grammar and semantics to
refer to a part or quantity, such as piece, ounce, and bar (of soap). Some
partitive forms (‘partitives’) are very general in meaning, occurring with almost
any quantifiable lexical item (e.g. some); others are restricted to a single lexical
item, or to a very small set (e.g. blade – of grass).
part of speech The traditional term for a grammatical class of words.
The main ‘parts of speech’ recognized by most school grammars derive from
the work of the ancient Greek and Roman grammarians, primarily the noun,
pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition, conjunction and interjection,
with article, participle and others often added. Because of the
inexplicitness with which these terms were traditionally defined (e.g. the use
of unclear notional criteria), and the restricted nature of their definitions