Preposition
/ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃən/noun
A word placed before a noun, pronoun, or phrase to show its relation to another word.
Did you know?Preposition comes from Latin praeponere, and in ancient grammar traditions, naming the parts of speech was treated as a kind of intellectual ordering of the world.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praepositio
“a placing before; in grammar, a word placed before another”
Late Latin
Latin
praepositio
“a preposition, a word put before another word”
Old French
Old French
preposition
“a preposition”
14th Century
English
preposicioun
“a grammatical term for a word placed before another”
Modern English
English
preposition
“a word governing and usually preceding a noun or pronoun”