Difference between revisions of "Adposition"

Revision as of 17:06, 18 June 2007

An adposition is a function word that combines with a noun phrase (its complement) and indicates the semantic role or grammatical function of the complement. The terms for the two main subtypes, preposition and postposition, are better known than the more general term adposition.

preposition (precedes its complement)
postposition (follows its complement)
circumposition (consists of two parts, one preceding and one following its complement)
ambiposition (may precede or follow its complement)
inposition (occurs inside its complement)

The term was probably created only in the 20th century, generalizing over preposition and postposition.