IS: Lesson - Participles - Introduction

Image: a statue of a Roman man, clothed as the pater familias. Participles - Introduction

A participle is a special verb form that takes on the characteristics of an adjective. It is both a verb and an adjective, which is why it is called a verbal adjective. This image shows a man wearing a head covering, which was a traditional manner of depicting the pater familias (head of household). The word "wearing" is a present participle.

Participles

The word participle is derived from the Latin words pars (part) and capere (to take). The Latin verb participio means to share. What do participles share? Roman writers were quite fond of participles and used them frequently, so it is important to learn these forms and their uses.

English has two participles: the present participle and the perfect participle. Along with serving as adjectives, English participles are used frequently to form various tense aspects in English:

  • I was seeing
    • seeing is a present participle used to form the imperfect aspect with the helping verb was.
  • I had seen
    • seen is a perfect participle used to form the pluperfect aspect with the helping verb had.

Latin, as you have learned, uses tense endings to create these tenses (imperfect = ba, pluperfect = era), instead of participles.

Latin participles take on characteristics from both verbs and adjectives. The chart below displays the main features of each:

Participles
Participles as Verbs Participles as Adjectives
  • Have tense (participles can be present, perfect or future)
  • Have voice (participles can be active or passive)
  • Can take objects (direct, indirect, prepositional)
  • Modify nouns
  • Have case (agree with nouns)
  • Have number (agree with nouns)
  • Have gender (agree with nouns)
  • Can be used substantively
    • Reminder adjectives can act on their own as substantives (acting as a noun). Examples
      • omnes = everyone
      • omnia = everything
      • liberi = children

Nota Bene

  • Latin participles will only be available in certain tense and voice combinations. Thus, Latin only has the following participles:
    • Present Active
    • Perfect Passive
    • Future Active
      • Side Note 1: the "perfect passive" participle will always be formed according to the rules presented in this module. However, there are some verbs that use this form in the active voice. Focus now on learning how to form the perfect participle, and its passive uses in this module.
      • Side Note 2: there is also a future passive participle, but that will not be taught until Latin III.
  • Because participles are verbal adjectives, they follow the same rules as regular adjectives, including agreement. Every participle will agree in:
    • case
    • number
    • gender