en_uhg/content/particle.rst

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:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/particle.rst
.. _particle:
Particle
========
Summary
-------
Particles are auxiliary words that do not fit neatly into any specific category.
Article
-------
Particles are auxiliary words in a language that do not describe or
refer to a specific object or action. Rather, particles often mark grammatical structures and/or show how other words
within a sentence relate to each other. Many particles in Biblical Hebrew are closely related to :ref:`adverbs<adverb>` or
:ref:`conjunctions<conjunction>`. Some Hebrew particles are prefixes that are attached to another word. Some particles
are extremely flexible in their meaning and can also serve other functions within a sentence, especially as conjunctions or
adverbs. For example, the word כִּי can function as either a particle or a conjunction; the word עַתָּה can function as either a
particle or an adverb; and there are others as well.
In Biblical Hebrew, particles are sometimes paired together to form
compound conjunctions. Compound conjunctions are best understood as a
single unit with its own range of meanings which may or may not overlap
with the meanings of the individual particles themselves. When in doubt,
it is recommended to consult and dictionary or lexicon to determine
whether any particular occurrence of a particle stands alone or as part
of a :ref:`compound conjunction<conjunction-compound>`.
.. note:: The classification of these words (i.e. words called "particles"
in this grammar) is a subject of much debate among Hebrew linguists.
This is true even for particles which have a clear meaning and function.
Other parsing systems may have different names for these groups of
particles, may have different groupings, or may even parse an individual
particle as another kind of word such as a
:ref:`noun<noun>`, an :ref:`adverb<adverb>`, a :ref:`conjunction<conjunction>`, or others.
Types
-----
The parsing system used by this grammar identifies the following types
of particles:
:ref:`Affirmation particle<particle_affirmation>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These particles usually convey a sense of "affirmation of" or "addition
to" some idea within the sentence. In English, they are commonly
translated using words such as "yes" or "also" or "even" or "really",
etc.
:ref:`Definite Article<particle_definite_article>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a prefix that makes a word :ref:`definite<definiteness>`.
:ref:`Demonstrative particle<particle_demonstrative>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These particles focus the attention of the reader/listener to the word,
phrase, or sentence that immediately follows. In English, they are
commonly translated using words such as "See!" or "Look!" or "Behold!",
etc.
:ref:`Direct Object marker<particle_direct_object_marker>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This particle precedes the direct object in a sentence, used especially
in places where there might be confusion.
:ref:`Exhortation particle<particle_exhortation>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exhortation particles are used to emphasize or strengthen a request or
command. They are often left untranslated in English.
:ref:`Interjection<particle_interjection>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These particles are exclamations of emotion. In English, they are
commonly translated using words such as "Oh!" or "Woe!" or "Aha!", etc.
:ref:`Interrogative particle<particle_interrogative>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This prefix indicates that the sentence is a question and not a
statement.
:ref:`Negative particle<particle_negative>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These particles negate some word in the sentnce, usually a
:ref:`verb<verb>` or :ref:`adjective<adjective>`.
:ref:`Relative particle<particle_relative>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These particles introduce a relative clause or phrase, often more fully
describing a preceding noun or verb.