English
particular
Particular comes from Middle English particuler, from Late Latin particularis ‘partial’, from Latin pars ‘part’, probably ultimately from PIE *perh₃- ‘to grant’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perh₃-‘to provide’uncertain
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*partis‘part’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpars‘part’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEparticula‘part’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEparticularis‘partial’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400particuler
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602particular
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perh₃-‘to provide’uncertain
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*partis‘part’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpars‘part’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEparticula‘part’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEparticularis‘partial’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400particuler
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602particular
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “I could a tale unfold whose lightest word /…”
Formed from particle + -ar
Proto-Italic *partis ‘part’
Latin pars ‘part, piece’
Latin particula ‘small part, particle’
Middle French particule
English particle
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- ‘to provide, produce, beget’
empire, experiment, expert, repair, imperial, preparation, parental, para, parity, imperium, imperious, pare, rampart, 37 more
through Latin pars ‘part, piece’
party, participate, participation, depart, partition, parse, impart, repartee, parter, 18 more
through Latin particula ‘(small) part’
Today it means
adj Pertaining only to a part of something; partial.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- / particular