preposition

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English preposicioun,^[2][3][4] partly borrowed from Anglo-Norman preposicion and Middle French preposicion, and partly borrowed from Latin praepositiō (“a putting before; a prefix; a preposition”).^[5][4][6] The OED finds the French word in Anglo-Norman in the second half of the 13th century, in a garbled spelling,^[5] and the Anglo-Norman Dictionary's first record is of the early 14th century.^[7] The Latin noun is formed on the past participle of praepōnō (“to put in front, put in charge of”),^[3][8][2] from prae (“before”) and pōnō (“to put, place”).^[2][3][6] As a grammatical term it is a loan translation of Ancient Greek πρόθεσις (próthesis, “a setting before”),^{[2][6][9][10]} and both terms were wide enough to take in particles such as Ancient Greek εὐ- (eu-, “well”) and Latin in- (“not”).^[5] In his Grammar Ælfric had already rendered the Latin term by Old English foresetnys.^[5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A word that governs a noun and usually comes before it: about 1434, in John Drury's English writings, "with oute a preposicion".^[5][4] Barnhart dates the word to before 1397,^[6] and Etymonline to the late 14th century.^[2] The Middle English Dictionary also has it in the general prologue to the Wycliffite Bible, composed before 1397 and quoted from a manuscript of before 1450.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The word has been a term of grammar from its first records, and Klein explains the name by the position of the word in front of the noun.^[9] The Latin width of the term lasted for a while: from 1565 to 1669 it could mean any word or particle prefixed to another.^[5][11] A use for a setting forth or exposition, from before 1513 to 1569, probably comes from confusion with proposition.^[5][11] Under the influence of pre- and position,^[8] the word came to mean the placing of one thing before another in 1586,^[5] now usually spelled pre-position and chiefly a term of linguistics.^[11][5] A thing placed in front was also so called from 1635 to 1786.^[5] Johnson (1755) gives only the grammatical sense, "a particle governing a case".^[12]

Timeline

• c. 1434 – a word governing a noun or pronoun.^[5][4]
• before 1513 – a setting forth, an exposition (obsolete by 1569).^[5]
• 1565 – a prefix (obsolete by 1669).^[5]
• 1586 – the placing of one thing before another.^[5]
• 1635 – a thing placed in front of another (obsolete by 1786).^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A word or group of words placed before a noun or pronoun to relate it to another part of the sentence, as under in the cat under the table.^[13][8][5]
2. (linguistics) The placing of one thing before another; now usually written pre-position.^[8][5][11]
3. (obsolete, 1565–1669) Any word or particle set before another; a prefix.^[5][11]
4. (obsolete, before 1513–1569) A setting forth; a proposition.^[5][11]

Word family

• prepositional
• prepositionally
• prepositional phrase

Related words

• prepose
• prepositive
• position
• pose
• prepone
• prothesis
• proposition

Usage notes

Collins notes that ending a sentence with a preposition, once regarded as incorrect, is now acceptable and in many contexts preferred.^[13] In the sense "placing before" the first syllable is /priː/.^[11]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
4. ^ a b c d e Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
7. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
8. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
9. ^ a b Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
10. ^ Weekley, Ernest (1921), An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, London: John Murray
11. ^ a b c d e f g Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
12. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
13. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins