Normwidriger Gebrauch deutscher Präpositionen: schwierige Verhältnisse

Abstract

True or false? Ulrich Schmitz examines the uncertain, variable, erroneous, and often surprising use of prepositions in written German, for example: It requires a great deal of effort; There are concerns about this proposal; The focus is on finances; All love from Grandma, Grandpa, and the rest of the family; Depending on the context; The DAX rose 3.2 percent. A collection of 2,500 relevant examples from various sources shows that almost all cases of such irregular preposition use can be explained historically and systematically. They point to the erosion of the case system and are indications of the acceleration of a long-term linguistic change in German. This shift is from synthetic to analytical language structure.