MeansMedium Prepositions

(Under Development)

This category takes in all prepositional senses where the complement identifies the means by which, or the medium through which, something happens or is done. This category roughly corresponds to a grammatical instrumental case. This discussion of the MeansMedium class of prepositions is based on an examination of the MeansMedium senses identified in The Preposition Project (TPP) with the Pattern Dictionary of English Prepositions (PDEP). This set of senses is discussed in sections 9.43 and 9.48 to 9.51 of Quirk et al which describes this class as Means/Agentive specturm, where boundaries between subclasses frequently overlap. There are 28 means/medium senses under 18 prepositions. These prepositions generally answer the question How? or have an assocation with the particular preposition with. Prepositions in this class are closely related to those in the Cause class, but primarily identify an action or method by which a result is achieved, rather than the cause. Describe the general properties of the class, giving the nature of the complements, the contribution of the preposition, and something about the governor. Discuss the potential breakdown into subtypes or categories (are there major groupings and then smaller groupings. (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

• Manner: the complement is expressly a manner, or has the meaning in a manner resembling, a la (1(1)) (style of food preparation), a la (2(1a)) (model or exemplar), according to (2(1a)) (a manner conforming to), after (9(5)) (target of allusion), after (10(5a)) (target of imitation), after the fashion of (1(1)) (model or exemplar), along (4(n)) (harmony or conformity with), by (6(2a)) (referent), by (11(2f)) (how something happens), by (14(3b)) (governor happening repeatedly or progressively), by (23(n)) (speaker interpretation of result, following (2(n)) (instructions or someone), for (8(7)) (referent), for (14(12)) (frequency of governor), in (6(4a)-1) (manner), in common with (1(1))) (comparison group), in keeping with (1(1)) (harmony or conformity with), in the fashion of (1(1)) (model or exemplar), in the shape of (2(1a)) (similar to), like (1(1)) (similar to), like (2(1a)) (same manner), like (3(1b)) ((treat) in a way appropriate to), like (4(1c)) (characteristic of (a model), like (5(1d)) (inquiring for comparator), like (6(2)) (demonstrative, signifying action in main clause), more like (1(1)) (more similar to), near (5(4)) (similar to), near to (5(4)) (similar to), next door to (2(1a)) (similar to), nigh (5(4)) (similar to), on the order of (2(2)) (similar to), short for (1(1)) (abbreviation or nickname for), to (15(7)) (second element in comparison), unto (1(1)-1) (reflexive, indicating unconventional or unpredictable manner), with (7(5)) (manner, mood, or feeling)
• Negative: the complement expresses a manner that is different from the governor, or has the meaning in a manner not resembling, 'gainst (8(3)) (conceptually contrasted item), 'gainst (9(3a)) (visually contrasted item), against (8(3)) (conceptually contrasted item), against (9(3a)) (visually contrasted item), agin (8(3)) (conceptually contrasted item), agin (9(3a)) (visually contrasted item), as (4(n)) ("as opposed to" (the thing contrasted)), frae (14(11) (the thing contrasted), from (14(11) (the thing contrasted), out of keeping with (not in harmony or conformity with), out of line with (1(1)) (not in accordance with), over against (2(2)) (in contrast to), unlike (1(1)) (not similar to), unlike (2(1a)) (in contrast to), unlike (3(1b)) (uncharacteristic of someone), versus (2(1a)) (in contrast to)
• Means: the complement expresses the means by which the result is achieved, at (11(6)), by (5(2)), by (8(2c)) (means of transport), by dint of (1(1)), by force of (1(1)), by means of (1(1)), by way of (3(3)), per (2(2)), through (12(5)), thro' (12(5)), thru (12(5)), via (2(1a)), with (4(3)-1) (communication content)
• Negative: the complement expresses a means that was not used to achieve the result, sans (2(1a)) (action omitted), without (2(1a)) (action omitted)
• Instrument: the complement expresses an instrument used to achieve the result, with (4(3))
• Negative: the complement expresses an instrument unnecessary or not used to achieve the result, in lieu of (1(1)) (thing replaced), in place of (1(1)) (thing replaced), instead of (1(1)) (thing replaced), out of (5(4) (thing not available), outta (5(4)) (thing not available), sans (3(2)) (thing not used), without (3(2)) (thing not used)
• Medium: the complement expresses the medium in which the governor appears or is accomplished, 'pon (12(6)) (storage medium), 'pon (13(6a)) (broadcast medium), according to (4(n)) (authoritative document), in (9(7)) (language or medium), in (10(7a)) (musical key), on (12(6)) (storage medium), on (13(6a)) (broadcast medium), onto (3(n)) (storage medium), o'er (15(6)), over (15(6)), under cover of (3(n)), upon (12(6)) (storage medium), upon (13(6a)) (broadcast medium), via (3(1b))
• Agentive: the complement expresses the agent, through (13(5a)) (intermediary), thro' (13(5a)) (intermediary), thru (13(5a)) (intermediary)
• Negative: the complement identifies an agent not used to achieve the result, in place of (2(n)) (agent replaced), vice (1(1)) (agent replaced)
• Stimulus: the complement expresses a stimulus for a governor that expresses an emotion, at (11(6)-1)

Selection Criteria

References

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