Adjectival participle
Encyclopedia
Adjectival participles are participles which are derived from verbs and which are used like adjectives. They contrast with verbal participles, which are considered to be forms of verbs rather than adjectives. In English for instance, adjectival participles may appear with modifiers typical of adjectives but not of verbs. An example is the modifier very in very interesting books, very overrated books, a very frightening experience, very hard-working people.
Other tests for adjectival participles in English include the ability of the participle to function as a complement to verbs like seem, remain, verbs which are known to take adjectival complements. Relevant examples are the door remained closed or she seems impressed. Any participle found directly in front of a noun in a noun phrase is standardly considered to be adjectival, because this is a position where we otherwise find adjectives but not verbs. Examples are fallen leaves, frightened people, meat-eating people.
Analogous uses of adjectival participles are the elements called attributes in grammars of some languages (Russian
, Hungarian
, many Eskimo languages, e.g. Sireniki ). Thus it can usually be translated into English by using an appropriate relative clause
and sometimes directly using the same construction in English (e.g. the running man).
Some descriptive grammars treat them as a distinct lexical category
, others avoid that and use a more minimalistic approach. Because the above languages have also adverbial participle
, the word participle
is meant often for both lexical categories .
Other tests for adjectival participles in English include the ability of the participle to function as a complement to verbs like seem, remain, verbs which are known to take adjectival complements. Relevant examples are the door remained closed or she seems impressed. Any participle found directly in front of a noun in a noun phrase is standardly considered to be adjectival, because this is a position where we otherwise find adjectives but not verbs. Examples are fallen leaves, frightened people, meat-eating people.
Analogous uses of adjectival participles are the elements called attributes in grammars of some languages (Russian
Russian grammar
Russian grammar encompasses:* a highly synthetic morphology* a syntax that, for the literary language, is the conscious fusion of three elements:** a Church Slavonic inheritance;...
, Hungarian
Hungarian grammar
Hungarian grammar is the study of the rules governing the use of the Hungarian language, a Uralic language spoken in Hungary and in adjacent areas of the seven neighboring countries, parts of which belonged to Hungary before 1920. Hungarian grammar possesses an extremely complex...
, many Eskimo languages, e.g. Sireniki ). Thus it can usually be translated into English by using an appropriate relative clause
Relative clause
A relative clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun phrase, most commonly a noun. For example, the phrase "the man who wasn't there" contains the noun man, which is modified by the relative clause who wasn't there...
and sometimes directly using the same construction in English (e.g. the running man).
Some descriptive grammars treat them as a distinct lexical category
Lexical category
In grammar, a part of speech is a linguistic category of words , which is generally defined by the syntactic or morphological behaviour of the lexical item in question. Common linguistic categories include noun and verb, among others...
, others avoid that and use a more minimalistic approach. Because the above languages have also adverbial participle
Adverbial participle
Adverbial participles are built out of a verb , and in most cases they play the role of the sentence element called adverbial in the grammar of some languages...
, the word participle
Participle
In linguistics, a participle is a word that shares some characteristics of both verbs and adjectives. It can be used in compound verb tenses or voices , or as a modifier...
is meant often for both lexical categories .
See also
- Non-finite verbNon-finite verbIn linguistics, a non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by a subject and, more generally, is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person...
- ParticipleParticipleIn linguistics, a participle is a word that shares some characteristics of both verbs and adjectives. It can be used in compound verb tenses or voices , or as a modifier...
- Adverbial participleAdverbial participleAdverbial participles are built out of a verb , and in most cases they play the role of the sentence element called adverbial in the grammar of some languages...