Topic Prepositions

(Under Development)

This category contains many synonymous and related prepositions that establish a topic about which other sentence elements make some statement. In general, the complements of all prepositions in this class identify the subject of discussion and each preposition can be paraphrased as on the subject of. Virtually any topic can be the object of these prepositions; the only major difference seems to be the formality of the usage. This discussion of the topic class of prepositions is based on an examination of the topic senses identified in The Preposition Project (TPP) with the Pattern Dictionary of English Prepositions (PDEP), along with the discussion in sections 9.57 and 9.60 of Quirk et al. There are 41 topic senses under 37 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

• Frame of reference: the complement identifies the subject matter of the governor, i.e., the frame of reference within which the rest of the sentence is to be interpreted, about (1(1)), anent (1(1)) (Scottish or archaic), concerning (1(1)), in the matter of (1(1)), o' (14(7)) (indirect object (topic)), of (14(7)) (indirect object (topic)), pursuant to (1(1)) (usually a legal reference), re (1(1)) (legal citation or opening a letter), regarding (1(1)), under (11(4c)) (document referenced)
• Focus of attention: the complement identifies a particular aspect, point, or detail where the governor is to be focused, 'pon (8(3)), apropos (1(1)), around (2(1a)), as for (1(1)) (frequently, a new focus or topic transition), as regards (1(1)) (attention or concern), as to (1(1)), having regard to 1(1) (factor(s) to be taken into account), in re (1(1)) (legal citation), in reference to (1(1)), in regard to (1(1)), in respect of (1(1)) (usually legal or formal British writing), into (5(5)), o' (13(6b)) (scope of predicate governor), o' (15(7a)), of (13(6b)) (scope of predicate governor), of (15(7a)), on (8(3)), o'er (16(7)), over (16(7)), onto (4(n)), re (2(1a)), relative to (3(2)), respecting (1(1)), round (2(1a)), to (14(6)) (concerning), touching (1(1)), upon (8(3)), vis-a-vis (1(1)), with (9(7)), with reference to (1(1)), with regard to (1(1)), with respect to (1(1)) (particular aspect, point, or detail)
• Focus of connection: the complement establishes the item that is connected to or affected by some other element (usually the governor), 'pon (9(3a)) (basis), about (2(1a)) (so as to affect), for (2(2)), in (6(4a)) (quality or aspect of focus), in accord with (1(1)) (consistent with), in connection with (1(1)) (frequently a criminal act), in line with (1(1)) (consistent with), in relation to (1(1)) (focus of comparison), in terms of (1(1)) (measurement size, role, choice), on (9(3a)) (basis), relative to (2(1a)) (connection basis), upon (9(3a)) (basis)

Selection Criteria

For the most part, topic prepositions can have any kind of complement. Topic complements range over the full set of possible syntactic types for prepositions: simple nouns, proper nouns, wh-clauses, and -ing clauses. Governors are being examined, and perhaps are generally verbs,

References

1. Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., and Svartik, J. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman: New York, 706-7, 709-10.