Help needed! Suggestions on primary sources on prepositions!

[kjelladrian]

Hi!

I'm going to do a c-essay on prepositions, and I want to know if there is anyone who can suggest a novel, a short story or any text that is interesting when it comes to this grammatical feature?

My own suggestion is to look at prep. regarding how concrete prep. at some time in history also became usable and useful in the abstract sense as well (or was it the other way around?). "I long for you", "I have been thinking of you", "I'm caught with this unpleasant thought... " etc. are a few ex. of this linguistic phenomenon. I'm thinking of taking a look at some reasons for and/or distinctions between the concrete and the abstract. How did the preps. get abstr. in English and how did the corresponding preps. get abstract meaning in Swedish; and why do these abstract preps. differ in Swedish and English? Are the main research questions that my essay hopefully will find the answers to.

Another thing I'm not sure of is what primary material I'm going to use. It must, however, be material that is written in English and translated to Swedish. Is there anyone out there who knows of a novel or short story where prepositions are especially frequent, and/or prominent as a means of achieving the stylistics of the text (form), and/or of great importance to the plot (meaning)? Or is there anyone who knows of the texts mentioned that contains other linguistical features, e.g. idiomatic expressions, interesting when it comes to translation to Swedish?

Or does anyone know of other texts, ranging from technical manuals to legal texts: contracts, agreements, and treaties a.s.o. that are interesting when it comes to prepositions? Maybe these texts are interesting when it comes to other linguistical features that involve translation e.g. translations, which have led to misunderstandings of serious nature for the involved a.s.o?

I'm open to all suggestions. Please feel free to answer!

Seriously/Kjell

P.s. I hope I can be of help myself to anyone who visits this site in the future.

[Tdol]

I believe the abstract use of prepositions is very old- there are phrasal verbs that are found in English and related languages, suggesting they were there before the langauges split, though there use has increased over the years.

I can't honestly think of a novel where prepositions are particularly important, but I do think that legal texts might not be much use as legal language tends to head for more latinate language and uses fewer figurative uses.