Moving OVER

This article argues that OVER profiles the relation between a schematic path and a LM — even when it describes an objectively static scene. It situates OVER within the overall system of spatial prepositions in English, focusing primarily on the general semantic patterns that over shares with other route Ps (THROUGH, AROUND, ACROSS, …), i.e., prepositions that profile a path defined by its internal structure and location rather than by its endpoints. OVER thus contrasts systematically with locational Ps (IN, ON, ABOVE, IN FRONT OF, …) that profile the ordinary location of a trajector. These systematic contrasts consistently account for the differences between OVER and its paradigmatic alternatives. The analysis suggests adopting a more dynamic conception of a “semantic network” that consists mainly of interpretational processes that are shared with other expressions in the system.