Cause Prepositions

(Under Development)

This discussion of the causal class of prepositions is based on an examination of the cause senses identified in The Preposition Project (TPP) with the Pattern Dictionary of English Prepositions (PDEP), along with the discussion in sections 9.43 to 9.47 of Quirk et al. Quirk et al. describe this class as the Cause/Purpose spectrum, where boundaries between subclasses frequently overlap. These prepositions generally answer the questions Why? or How?. The complements in this category identify the cause for something – sometimes for the governor, but also for other things named in the sentence. Cause here is broadly interpreted to refer to a Cause–Purpose spectrum that includes Cause, Reason, Motive, Purpose, Destination, and Target. There are 27 cause senses under 25 prepositions. (See Preposition Classes for how this class relates to other classes. For the supersenses (unlexicalized categores for prepositions), see PrepWiki; the PDEP database is being kept synchronized with this project, as they are assigned to TPP senses.)

Category Types

• Cause, Reason, Motive: the complement expresses the material cause or the psychological cause (motive) for a happening,
  • Cause: the complement is more of a material cause for the happening, after (1(1)-1) (event or activity as the cause), because of (1(1)), by courtesy of (2(1a)), courtesy of (2(1a)), due to (2(2)), due to (3(3)), frae (12(9)), from (12(9)), in bed with (3(n)) (malady, disease, affliction), o' (16(7b)) (malady, disease, affliction), of (16(7b)) (malady, disease, affliction), on the score of (1(1)), owing to (1(1)), thanks to (1(1)), with (11(7b)) (cause of governor), with (12(7c)) (cause and accompanier of governor)
  • Reason, Motive: the complement is more of a psychological cause for the happening, by reason of (1(1)) (frequently formal and legal), by virtue of (1(1)), for (6(5)), in consideration of (2(n)), in light of (1(1)), in the light of (1(1)), in view of (1(1)) (complement describes (prior) accompanying circumstances), in virtue of (1(1)), on account of (1(1)), on the strength of (complement is a basis or justification), out of (2(1a)), outta (2(1a))
• Purpose, Intended Destination: the complement identifies a purpose or destination, answering the questions Why ... ?, What ... for?, Where ... for?, or Who ... for?, for (5(4)) (object or purpose)
• Recipient, Goal, Target: the complement is the intended or actual recipient or the intended goal or target (not necessarily attained),
• Recipient: the complement is the intended or actual recipient of the governor, due to (1(1)) (party owed because of legal obligation or moral duty), onto (6(n)), to (8(3)), unto (1(1))
• Beneficiary: the complement is the intended or actual beneficiary of the governor, all for (1(1)) (strongly in favor of), behind (5(3)) (party supported), for (1(1)) (person or policy), for (3(3)) (beneficiary), for the benefit of (1(1)) (beneficiary), in aid of (1(1)) (beneficiary), in behalf of (1(1)) (beneficiary), in behalf of (2(2)) (party represented), in favor of (2(2)) (beneficiary), in favour of (2(2)) (beneficiary), in honor of (1(1)) (beneficiary), in honour of (1(1)) (beneficiary), in memoriam (1(1)) (party commemorated), in the name of (2(1a)) (beneficiary), on behalf of (1(1)) (beneficiary), on behalf of (2(2)) (party represented), pro (1(1)) (thing favored)
• Employer: the complement is an employer or organization with which a person is associated (with the governor usually a noun or verb representing work or a profession), at (12(n)), for (4(3a)) (employer (beneficiary)), in the pay of (1(1)) (employer, usually negative connotation), with (13(8))
• Goal or Target: the complement is the intended or actual goal or target of the governor, 'gainst (11(n)) (hostile behavior towards), 'pon (11(5)) (target or goal), after (7(3)) (target of pursuit), against (11(n)) (hostile behavior towards), agin (11(n)) (hostile behavior towards), all over (3(2)) (effusively attentive to), as far as (3(n)) (goal approached), at (9(5)) (target of governor), at (10(5a)) (target of continued action), at the heels of (1(1)) (target of pursuit), for the benefit of (2(1a)) (target of display), in sight of (2(1a)) (thing attainable), near to (6(n)) (person affected by governor), on (11(5)) (target or goal), onto (8(n)) (a target or focus), round (7(3b)) (target of blow), short of (2(1a)) (target missed), to (8(3)-1) (person affected by governor), toward (2(1a)) (goal or end state approached), toward (4(2)) (target of behavior), toward (4(2)-1) (target of attitude), towards (2(1a)) (goal or end state approached), towards (4(2)) (target of behavior), towards (4(2)-1) (target of attitude), upon (11(5)) (target or goal), within sight of (2(1a)) (thing attainable)
• Source or Origin: the complement identifies the source or origin of the governor, frae (10(7)) (origin separation), frae (10(7)-1) (start state for waking or healing), frae (13(10)) (information source), from (10(7)) (origin separation), from (10(7)-1) (start state for waking or healing), from (13(10)) (information source), out of (1(1)), outta (1(1)), with (16(10)) (origin separation)

Selection Criteria

References

1. Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., and Svartik, J. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman: New York, pp. 695-8.