Spatial Prepositions

(Under Development)

This discussion of the spatial class of prepositions is based on an examination of the spatial senses identified in The Preposition Project (TPP) with the Pattern Dictionary of English Prepositions (PDEP). This set of senses is discussed in paragraphs 9.15 to 9.29 of Quirk et al. There are 151 spatial senses under 78 prepositions. This is the largest class of prepositions and has several subtypes. Spatial prepositions have physical location objects and are in some sort of relation with other parts of the sentence. In many cases, the preposition itself expresses a further perspective on or set of properties about the location. Also, in many cases, the governor may indicate some further relation about the location. Spatial prepositions are typically adjuncts (relating an event or state of affairs to a location) or postmodifiers (relating some entity to a location). Many prepositions express metaphorical or abstract locations, but these are treated as Scalar 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

• Simple Position: the complement is viewed as a particular place or position where some event or state of affairs is located, 'pon (1(1)) (supporting surface or entity), 'pon (2(1a)) (place surrounding), 'pon (3(1b)) (contact with (a surface)), 'pon (4(1c)) (body part), 'pon (7(2)) (on the surface of), about (4(3)) (location in a particular place), around (1(1)) (on every side of), around (5(4)) (so as to encircle), at (1(1)), between (1(1)) (space separating two objects or regions), betwixt (1(1)) (space separating two objects or regions), chez (1(1)) (person's house or restaurant name), in (1(1)), inside (1(1)) (thing enclosing), inside (2(1a)) (moving into), inside (3(1b)) (a person's body or mind), inside of (1(1)) (thing enclosing), into (4(4)) (in direction of something), on (1(1)) (supporting surface or entity), on (2(1a)) (place surrounding), on (3(1b)) (contact with (a surface)), on (4(1c)) (body part), on (7(2)) (on the surface of), onto (9(n)) (on the surface of), o'er (15(6)-1) (breakage by means of resistant object), over (15(6)-1) (breakage by means of resistant object), round (1(1)) (on every side of), round (3(2)) (so as to encircle), round (4(2a)) (so as to encircle with the arms), round about (2(n)) (on every side of), to (13(5)) (object of attachment), upon (1(1)) (supporting surface or entity), upon (2(1a)) (place surrounding), upon (3(1b)) (contact with (a surface)), upon (4(1c)) (body part), upon (7(2)) (on the surface of), upside (1(1)) ("the head"), within (1(1)) (enclosing entity), within (2(1a)) (area bounded)
• As a destination: 'gainst (10(4)) (into physical contact with (an object)), 'pon (5(1d)) (onto an object), against (10(4)) (into physical contact with (an object)), agin (10(4)) (into physical contact with (an object)), as far as (1(1)) (distance limit), down (4(1c)) (to (a place)), for (7(6)), in (2(1a)) (thing entered), into (1(1)) (thing entered), into (2(2)) (a position of contact with), into (3(3)) (destination), on (5(1d)) (onto an object), onto (1(1)) (a surface), onto (7(n)) (target of motion), short of (4(n)) (targeted location or destination), to (1(1)), toward (1(1)) (in the direction of), towards (1(1)) (in the direction of), unto (3(n)), up (4(3)) (motion goal), up to (1(1)), upon (5(1d)) (onto an object)
• As a place of origin: ex (1(1)) (source of goods), ex (2(1a)) (repository), frae (1(1)) (starting point), frae (2(1a)) (reference point), frae (4(3)) (source), frae (8(5)) (place of observer), from (1(1)) (starting point), from (2(1a)) (reference point), from (4(3)) (source), from (8(5)) (place of observer), off (4(3)) (removed or separated from), off (8(n)) (source), out of (6(5)) (moving away from), out of (7(6)) (situated away from), outta (6(5)) (moving away from), outta (7(6)) (situated away from)
• As a conveyance: 'pon (15(7a)) (traveling on), 'pon (16(7b)) (getting onto), aboard (1(1)), aboard (2(1a)) (horse), on (15(7a)) (traveling on), on (16(7b)) (getting onto), onto (2(2)), upon (15(7a)) (traveling on), upon (16(7b)) (getting onto)
• Relative Position: the complement identifies an )entity or group of entities with respect to which the governor is located, with subtypes identifying the orientation expressed by the preposition itself,
• Vertically:
• Above: above (1(1)) (over and not touching), above (2(1a)) (extending upwards over), above (3(1b)) (overlooking), above (4(2)) (higher level), astraddle (1(1)) (atop with legs straddling), astride (1(1)) (atop with legs straddling), atop (1(1)), on top of (1(1)), on top of (2(1a)) (thing covered), on top of (5(4)) (thing crowded), o'er (1(1)), o'er (2(1a)) (thing covered), o'er (3(1b)) (overlooking), o'er (4(2)) (thing surmounted), over (1(1)), over (2(1a)) (thing covered), over (3(1b)) (overlooking), over (4(2)) (thing surmounted), overtop (1(1)) (covering from above), up (1(1)) (a higher point)
• Below: below (1(1)), below (4(2)) (extending underneath), beneath (1(1)) (underneath), beneath (2(1a)) (thing blanketing), beneath (3(2)) (lower level), neath (1(1)) (underneath), neath (2(1a)) (thing blanketing), neath (3(2)) (lower level), under (1(1)), under (2(1a)) (something protecting), under (3(2)) (lower level than), underneath (1(1)), underneath (3(2a)) (clothing)
• Equal: on a level with (1(1))
• Horizontally:
  • Behind: abaft (1(1)) (behind, usually a ship part), after (5(2)), behind (1(1)), behind (3(2)) (a moving group), behind (4(2a)) (at the back of or in the wake of someone), back of (1(1)) (behind), in back of (1(1)) (behind), under (4(2a)) (thing intervening)
  • Before: afore (2(2)), ahead of (1(1)), before (2(2)), fore (2(2)), in front of (1(1) (at the front part of)
  • Beside: alongside (1(1)), aslant (1(1)) (across at an angle), beside (1(1)), besides (2(n)), beyond (2(1a)) (outside physical range of), by (18(5)), fornent (1(1)), near (1(1)), near to (1(1)), next door to (1(1)) (house or room), next to (1(1)), nigh (1(1)), outboard of (1(1)) (outside or far side), outside (1(1)) (a boundary), outside (3(1b)) (in sports, closer to side of field), outside of (1(1)) (a boundary), outwith (1(1)) (a boundary), outwith (3(1b)) (in sports, closer to side of field), over against (1(1)) (adjacent to), past (1(1)) (the further side of), sans (4(3)) (outside), this side of (4(n)) (a boundary), through (12(5)-1) (things interconnected), thro' (12(5)-1) (things interconnected), thru (12(5)-1) (things interconnected), up against (1(1)) (in contact with), without (4(3)) (outside)
  • In The Presence Of: afore (3(2a)) (legal authority), before (3(2a)) (legal authority), fore (3(2a)) (legal authority), in front of (3(2)) (in the presence of), up before (1(1)) (in the presence of)

Selection Criteria

The complements of spatial prepositions seem to fall into two main types: locations and entities. Entities are always used as reference points, while locations are not necessarily related to some other location. The governors for locational prepositions may be stative or eventive. The governors for prepositions expressing relative positions are other entities.

References

1. Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., and Svartik, J. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman: New York, pp. 673-84.