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From: deb5@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: German postpositions [was Re: preposition->postpostion
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References: <DDxzLD.E5n@crash.cts.com> <4323ua$2oo@netsrv2.spss.com> <DEtBGD.Lww@novice.uwaterloo.ca> <43d5cd$e9o@medici.trl.OZ.AU>
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 00:01:44 GMT
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In article <43d5cd$e9o@medici.trl.OZ.AU>,
Jacques Guy <jbm@newsserver.trl.oz.au> wrote:
>selvakum@valluvar.uwaterloo.ca (C.R. Selvakumar) writes:
>
>>    Are there examples
>>    of languages transforming from a preposition-using language to
>>    a postposition-using language ? Please note plural in my question ! 
>
>Der Spiegel, 12 June 1995 (just received here by surface mail), p.84, this
>title:
>
>     Der Nase nach.
>
>Should such constructions become more and more frequent, German could
>reach a catastrophic point (catastrophe as in catastrophe theory) where
>all prepositions become postposed. 

However, the trend is in the opposite direction.  Besides "nach" (which
is usually prepositional), the only German postposition I can think of in
common use is "entlang".  "wegen" used to belond to this category as well,
but although we learned the forms "meinetwegen", "deinetwegen," etc. in
school, I've never heard them in conversation.  People say "wegen mir",
"wegen dir" or even "von wegen mir", etc.


-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
