What does ἐπί really mean? Contact and dimensionality of the landmark as basic semantic categories in the locative prepositional phrases with ἐπί

The spatial relations expressed by the preposition ἐπί can be clarified attending to the dimensionality of the landmark as a basic semantic category, along with the constant notion of contact, belonging to the preposition. On the contrary, the orientation – from which the traditional explanations ar...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Rodríguez Somolinos, Helena
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/192496
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/192496
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Greek prepositions
ἐπί
Locative meanings
Dimensionality
Limits and extremes
Visual conceptualization
Latin ob, ad, extremus, exter, exterior
Descripción
Sumario:The spatial relations expressed by the preposition ἐπί can be clarified attending to the dimensionality of the landmark as a basic semantic category, along with the constant notion of contact, belonging to the preposition. On the contrary, the orientation – from which the traditional explanations are derived – is important but clearly secondary. After explaining the coexistence and partial synonymy of ἐπί with dat. and gen. starting from the uses with three-dimensional landmarks, the study of the uses with two- and one-dimensional landmarks allows reformulation of the basic meaning of the preposition. In turn, this allows recognition of a system based on a very particular conceptual view about limits and ends in the different dimensions, a conceptual view in decline since Homer, although we can find other traces of it here and there, also in Latin.