Skip to main content
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

From variation towards the grammar of Maltese prepositions – first steps

  • and
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Explore this Subject How to publish with us
Maltese Linguistics on the Danube
This chapter is in the book Maltese Linguistics on the Danube

Abstract

This paper paves the ground for writing the comprehensive synchronic grammar of Maltese prepositions. The extant literature on the subject matter is reviewed in order to determine the size of the inventory of prepositions. It is shown that there is no general agreement as to the exact number of prepositions which are actually functional in the language. On the basis of the inventory of prepositions put forward by the authors, cases of variation in the domain of preposition-complement interaction are discussed. The results are systematized and tasks for follow-up studies are defined.

Abstract

This paper paves the ground for writing the comprehensive synchronic grammar of Maltese prepositions. The extant literature on the subject matter is reviewed in order to determine the size of the inventory of prepositions. It is shown that there is no general agreement as to the exact number of prepositions which are actually functional in the language. On the basis of the inventory of prepositions put forward by the authors, cases of variation in the domain of preposition-complement interaction are discussed. The results are systematized and tasks for follow-up studies are defined.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Preface VII
  4. Part I: Historical Linguistics
  5. Maltese and North African linguistics: Common roots and areal divergence 3
  6. The diachrony of word-final obstruent devoicing in Maltese 27
  7. The history of the Maltese short vowels 59
  8. An observation on the ḥāl construction in Maltese 91
  9. Minsel. An etymological database for lexemes of Arabic origin in Maltese 111
  10. Part II: Syntax
  11. Will it agree or not? Syntactic overgeneralization leading to agreement mismatches in Maltese 121
  12. Argument extension in Maltese 141
  13. Lanqas, negative concord and predicate negation in Maltese 177
  14. From variation towards the grammar of Maltese prepositions – first steps 199
  15. Form and behavior of Maltese prepositions – A usage-based approach 241
  16. Part III: Phonology
  17. To be or not to be an affricate – affricated stops in Maltese 273
  18. Revisiting the definite article in Maltese 307
  19. Index of Authors 315
  20. Index of Languages 318
  21. Index of Subjects 320
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110672268-010

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Preface VII
  4. Part I: Historical Linguistics
  5. Maltese and North African linguistics: Common roots and areal divergence 3
  6. The diachrony of word-final obstruent devoicing in Maltese 27
  7. The history of the Maltese short vowels 59
  8. An observation on the ḥāl construction in Maltese 91
  9. Minsel. An etymological database for lexemes of Arabic origin in Maltese 111
  10. Part II: Syntax
  11. Will it agree or not? Syntactic overgeneralization leading to agreement mismatches in Maltese 121
  12. Argument extension in Maltese 141
  13. Lanqas, negative concord and predicate negation in Maltese 177
  14. From variation towards the grammar of Maltese prepositions – first steps 199
  15. Form and behavior of Maltese prepositions – A usage-based approach 241
  16. Part III: Phonology
  17. To be or not to be an affricate – affricated stops in Maltese 273
  18. Revisiting the definite article in Maltese 307
  19. Index of Authors 315
  20. Index of Languages 318
  21. Index of Subjects 320
Downloaded on 10.5.2026 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110672268-010/html?lang=en
Scroll to top button