Particle
Definition:
A particle is a word that
- does not belong to one of the main classes of words
- is invariable in form, and
- typically has grammatical or pragmatic meaning.
Discussion:
The usage of the term particle varies. Some authorities include English prepositions and even English articles as particles.
Kinds:
Examples:
- to (in marking infinitives)
- up (in set up)
- not
- well
- oh
Source:
This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library. Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003.