postposition

American  

[pohst-puh-zish-uhn, pohst-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌpoʊst pəˈzɪʃ ən, ˈpoʊst pəˌzɪʃ ən /

noun

1. the act of placing after.

2. the state of being so placed.

3. Grammar.

   1. the use of words, particles, or affixes following the elements they modify or govern, as of the adjective general in attorney general, or of the particle e “to” in Japanese Tokyo e “to Tokyo.”

   2. a word, particle, or affix so used.

---

postposition British  

/ ˌpəʊstpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. placement of a modifier or other speech element after the word that it modifies or to which it is syntactically related

2. a word or speech element so placed

---

Other Word Forms

• postpositional
  adjective
• postpositionally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of postposition

1540–50; post- + position or (pre)position ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

postposition

An affix or postposition, signifying, for the sake of: e.g.

From Romano Lavo-Lil: word book of the Romany; or, English Gypsy language by George Henry Borrow

The accusative case in nouns is marked by a postposition, ku, as in Hindustani.

From The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 1. (of 7): Chaldaea The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations. by George Rawlinson

Thī, the postposition of the G. ablative, is connected with thawũ, to be, one of the verbs substantive in that language.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various

When the postposition begins with a consonant, the final e of a noun changes to i.

From The Mafulu Mountain People of British New Guinea by Robert Wood Williamson

The usual genitive postposition is k, which has become a suffix, and now forms part of the word to which it is attached, a final preceding vowel being frequently shortened.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various