Page:Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (1910 Kautzsch-Cowley edition).djvu/321

 ; the oriental school [see above, p. 38, note 2] recognize only the reading ), .—,,  The same applies to   and  (prop. here, here is; see ), only in ; with suffixes,, once  ( with ), in   (here am I),  , ,  and  [both very rare],  (behold us), and  (in  ), , ; [see more fully in the Lexicon, p. 243].

The usual explanation of these suffixes (especially of the forms with Nûn energicum) as verbal suffixes, which ascribes some power of verbal government even to forms originally substantival (e.g. ), is at least inadmissible for forms (like, ) which are evidently connected with noun-suffixes; even for the other forms it is questionable. Brockelmann suggests that the in connexion with these particles is a survival from  corresponding to the Arab. ʾánna which introduces dependent clauses.

Brockelmann,, i. 494 ff.

1. All words, which by usage serve as prepositions, were originally substantives, viz.:

(a) Substantives in the accusative and in the construct state, so that the noun governed by them is to be considered as in the genitive, and in Arabic actually has the genitive ending, cf. in German statt dessen, kraft dessen, in Greek τούτου χάριν, in Latin huius rei causa, or gratia, montis instar. Cf. (hinder part*) behind, after ( in, , ;  );  (side) close by;  (intermediate space*) between; ,  (distance ) behind, around; , or with Ḥireq compaginis  (removal, want) except;  (purpose) on account of;  ( only in ) before, over against;  (separation; cf. ) from, out of;  (coming in front, that which is over against) before, over against;  (progress, duration*) during, until;  (height, upper part*) upon, over;  (connexion?) with; it is doubtful whether this is to be derived from the same stem as , ;  (under part*) under, instead of.

(b) Substantives in the construct state, but to be regarded as in the genitive, since they depend on prepositions (especially the inseparable), e.g. (in the face of*) before;,  (according to the mouth,