MacDonnell II - Wilbourhall.org

CHAPTER VINDECLINABLE WORDSPrepositions.176. Two classes of prepositions have to be distinguished.The first comprises the genuine or adverbial prepositions.These are words with a local sense which, primarily used tomodify the meaning of verbs, came to be connected independentlywith the cases governed by the verbs thusmodified. They show no signs of derivation from inflexionalforms or (except tiras and puras) forms made with adverbialsuffixes. The second class has been called adnominalprepositions because they are not compounded with verbs,but govern cases of nouns only. They almost invariablyend in case terminations or adverbial suffixes.1. Adverbial Prepositions.There are fourteen or (ifsam is included) fifteen genuineprepositions which, when used independently of verbs,define the local meaning of cases. They are almost entirelyrestricted to employment with the ace, loc, and abl. Astheir connexion with the abl. is only secondary, the genuineprepositions appear to have been originally connected withthe ace. and loc. only. As a rule these prepositions follow,but also often precede, their case.1. The accusative is exclusively taken by acha towards,ati hei/ond, anu after, abhi towards, prati (Gk. npoTL) against,and tiras across (cp. Lat. trans).a. pari (Gk. -mpi) around takes the ace. primarily, butsecondarily and more frequently the abl. in the sense offrom {around).