article
UK[ˈɑːtɪk(ə)l]US[ˈɑːrtɪk(ə)l]
n
A particular item or object, especially one of a specified type.
n
A piece of writing in a newspaper, magazine, or website that gives information or expresses an opinion.
n
A separate clause or paragraph of a legal document or agreement.
n
(Grammar) A word (such as 'a', 'an', or 'the') used before a noun to indicate definiteness or specificity.
Morpheme Breakdown
art
icle
art
joint, limb
icle
small thing
Etymology
The word 'article' originates from the Latin articulus, a diminutive of artus, meaning "joint" or "limb." This literal sense of a small connecting part evolved metaphorically in Latin to denote a distinct section of a discourse or a clause in a legal document, much like a joint connects parts of the body. In English, this meaning broadened to include any distinct item or piece of writing, and was later applied in grammar to the small words that connect nouns to the rest of a sentence, solidifying the link from a physical joint to a conceptual connector.
Analysis
Structure: art (joint, limb) + icle (small thing)
'art' is from Latin artus (joint, limb). 'icle' is a diminutive suffix from Latin -iculus (small).
Examples
The police recovered several stolen articles from the house.
She wrote an insightful article about climate change for the journal.
The contract's final article outlines the termination conditions.