Download - VISL

8.2. The preposition (VISL abbreviation: prp, VISL color: brown)
Basic characteristics: The most common role of a preposition is to relate one
“object” to another. Consider, for example, two concrete objects such as a ball
and a table. Many prepositions can be used here.
• The ball is under the table.
• The ball is below the table.
• The ball is beneath the table.
• The ball is near the table.
Other configurations would yield, for example:
• ENGLISH: above, beside, on
• DANISH: over, på, under
Other objects and relationships extend the set of prepositions even further:
• The handkerchief is in the drawer.
• He threw the stone at the rabbit.
• The squirrel ran around the tree.
• Jill rolled down the hill.
• The living room faced toward the south.
• Alice went to Paris with her mother.
At this point we already encounter an interesting and challenging linguistic
issue - namely, the status of constructions such as:
• ENGLISH: alongside, close to, in front of
• DANISH: henne ved, neden under, nær ved, oven over, tæt
ved, ved siden af
Some grammarians simply treat such constructions as single units and
classify them as COMPLEX PREPOSITIONS. But this can have
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John M. Dienhart