Adpositions

Adpositions are connecting words used for a wide range of syntactic and semantic functions, most commonly modification and complementation.

Natural Language

Natural language adpositions are classified as prepositions, when preceding a phrase; as postpositions, when following a phrase; and as circumpositions, when surrounding a phrase:

UNL

Natural language adpositions are expected to be explicitly represented in UNL by Universal Relations or by Universal Relations and Universal Attributes:

• the book of John = pos(book,John) (preposition represented as a relation)
• the book about John = cnt(book,John) (preposition represented as a relation)
• He lives in Geneva = plc(live,Geneva) (preposition represented as a relation)
• He died in 1956 = tim(died,"1956") (preposition represented as a relation)
• He is going to Geneva = gol(go,Geneva) or plc(go,Geneva.@to) (preposition represented as a specific relation ("gol") or as a general relation ("plc") and an attribute)
• He has been working since Saturday = tmf(work,Saturday) or tim(work,Saturday.@from) (preposition represented as a specific relation ("tmf") or as a general relation ("tim") and an attribute)
• The book near the table = plc(book,table.@near) (preposition represented as a relation and an attribute)
• The book under the table = plc(book,table.@bottom.@contact) (preposition represented as a relation and attributes)
• The book below the table = plc(book,table.@bottom.@near) (preposition represented as a relation and attributes)