Dixon, R.M.W. (2021) English Prepositions: Their Meanings and Uses. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp. 1-443.

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Abstract

This book provides an account of 50 most common prepositions in English. It shows the semantic range for each preposition through a scheme of linked senses that are related to the grammatical frameworks in which they are used. For each preposition there is an account of its genetic origin and shifts of form and meaning over the centuries. The book provides an instructive way to appreciate the meanings of prepositions by studying instances where two prepositions may be used in the same frame with meanings that show some similarity but also a significant difference, such as the factory is shut up vs the factory has been shut down. The exposition is illustrated by examples taken from standard corpora, which includes several hundred examples of use for each preposition, fully illustrating its structural and semantic scope.

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