locativepreposition

Locative preposition, also called locative adposition, is a preposition whose primary function is to express location relative to a reference point. In linguistic analysis, locative prepositions encode where something is located in space (and can extend to more abstract locations) and are used with a noun phrase to form a locative expression. In languages with case systems, such prepositions often govern a locative or oblique case rather than a dedicated case marker on the noun.

In English, common locative prepositions include in, on, at, beside, near, between, around, above, below, under, in front of, and behind. They indicate static position: "The book is on the table," "She lives in Paris," "The cat is under the bed." Some locative phrases are used in more complex relations, such as "in front of" or "inside."

Locative prepositions are contrasted with directional or goal-oriented prepositions such as to, into, onto, or through, which encode movement toward or through a reference point. Many languages also distinguish location (locative) from motion (direction) with separate markers. In addition, some languages use the same form for location and time in phrases like at noon or on Monday, though time is typically handled by temporal elements rather than a dedicated locative system.

Typologically, locative prepositions are part of the broader class of adpositions and, in languages with rich case systems, interact with locative cases or oblique noun forms. They contribute to the semantic map of spatial relations, including containment, support, contact, proximity, and vertical position. See also locative case, preposition, spatial relation.