partial English · revision 7087

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1398|origins=la pars}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈpɑːʃəl/ ''(UK)''; /ˈpɑɹʃəl/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English parcial, [[bor|fro|parcial]] and directly [[bor|la-med|partialis|t=divisible; partial]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) from Late Latin partialis, incomplete, from Latin [[m|la|pars|t=part]] (genitive partis) (see [[part]]),^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986) from PIE [[ine-pro|*per-|alt=*pere-|t=to grant, allot]].^(Etymonline) Modern French distinguishes partial, biased, from partiel, incomplete.^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Not whole, incomplete: before 1398, in Trevisa's translation of Bartholomew;^(Barnhart 1988) the late 14th century in Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ One-sided, biased, inclined to favour one side, is from the early 15th century (about 1420).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The weakened ''favourably disposed'', and ''partial to'', fond of, follow: Etymonline dates the weakened sense from the 1580s,^(Etymonline) and the OED dates the construction with ''to'', meaning fond of, from 1696.^(OED 1989) Affecting a part only, not universal, is by the 1640s (1641).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) As a noun in music and acoustics, a partial tone, it is a later technical use.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1398 – incomplete.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1420 – biased.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1580s – favourably disposed.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1641 – affecting a part only.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1696 – partial to, fond of.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Not complete; existing only in part: ''a partial eclipse''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Favouring one side unfairly; [[biased]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(partial to)'' Having a liking for: ''partial to chocolate''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(music)'' Any of the component tones of a sound; an [[overtone]].^(COED 2004)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[partialness]]

+ * [[partially]]

+ * [[nonpartial]]

+ * [[overpartial]]

+ * [[partialize]]

+ * [[impartial]]

+ * [[partiality]]

+ * [[partial differential equation]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[part]]

+ * [[partly]]

+ * [[particle]]

+ * [[party]]

+ * [[portion]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}