Re: Set of basic adpositions

On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 16:28, R A Brown <ray@...> wrote:
> There are IIRC six others, but I would not class them as 'basic'; also I'm
> fairly certain that some (all?) of them are literary and not much used in
> the spoken language:
> katá = toward(s), according to
> pros = towards
> antí(s) = instead of
> os = up to, until
Also 'mexri' ~ 'mexris' "idem."?

> xorís = without   [x = /x/ 'chi']
> díxos = without
Maybe also 'san' "like, as"? (Originally from "os an", IIRC.)

> Otherwise the language uses compounds, mostly adverb+s(e) or adverb+ap(o),
> but there are also compounds of adverb+m(e) and adverb+gia.
And even 'anti' tends to become 'anti gia'.

> From which I think it reasonable to say modern Greek has only four basic
> prepositions: se, apo, me & gia.
*nods* I think so, too.

As you say, the additional ones feel "heavier" to me - more literary
and/or restricted.

Cheers,
--
Philip Newton <philip.newton@...>