PARTICLE

(Lat. paiticula,/iM<?;jrtr^) In Grammar, a general term to expre the subordinate or secondary parts of speech, — the adverb, the preposition, and the conjunction. But it is more in accordance with grammaticid precision to apply this term to those minor words to be met with in all languages, which serve apparently to give clearne and precision to a sentence, but respecting whose exact use Grammarians are not agreed. To this cla belong the Gr. yt, a^a., toi, hr,, .; the Germ, ia, wohl, .; and the English now, then, truly, . The term particle is also applied by grammarians to those words or enclitics (as they are called, from Gr. tv and xXtvo), I lean) which cannot be used separately, but must form part of the preceding word, as in virumque. Particle, in Physics, denotes the minutest parts Into which a body can be mechanically divided. It is in general used synonymously with molecule, corpuscle, atom; but sometimes the^e terms are distinguished. [s. 911]