Circumposition

A circumposition (also: Circumposition ) is called in the field of grammar a adposition, which consist of a mating pair of a preposition and a postposition, which embrace the word assigned to them. These two parts combined gain a certain meaning and need not necessarily theoretically occur alone. Other forms of adposition are the single preposition and the single postposition

Examples

• For heaven's sake
• From this point on
• Ex officio
• Affidavit; Acceptance instead of child

In a real circumposition both parts are associated with the clutching word, so that the Zirkumpositionalphrase can be regarded as independent and complete.

Problem cases

It also phrases are sometimes viewed as " protecting against " as zirkumpositionale expressions, but this is incorrect. The second adposition is a preposition, which is a second noun must be assigned ( "for protection against the enemy " ), the phrase is therefore not yet complete. In the example form "against" and " the enemy " is a prepositional phrase, which is assigned to the noun " protection" as an attribute. This in turn forms with nouns "to" yourself also a prepositional phrase. So there are two (initially incomplete ) nested prepositional phrases and by no means a circumposition.

Dispute, it is also "on the hill " and similar expressions designed to be called zirkumpositional. It is ( if the meaning is the same as " up the mountain " ) to an adverb, " up ", which is determined more accurately by a further Adpositionalphrase "on the mountain "; also compare " up there". However, the expression a terminative reinforcing the upward movement, so it is a real circumposition.