313.  The following are the most common to indicate place:—­

(1) PLACE WHERE:  abaft, about, above, across, amid (amidst), among (amongst), at, athwart, below, beneath, beside, between (betwixt), beyond, in, on, over, under (underneath), upon, round or around, without.

(2) PLACE WHITHER:  into, unto, up, through, throughout, to, towards.

(3) PLACE WHENCE:  down, from (away from, down from, from out, etc.), off, out of.

Abaft is exclusively a sea term, meaning back of.

Among (or amongst) and between (or betwixt) have a difference in meaning, and usually a difference in use. Among originally meant in the crowd (on gemong), referring to several objects; between and betwixt were originally made up of the preposition be (meaning by) and tweon or tweonum (modern twain), by two, and be with twih (or twuh), having the same meaning, by two objects.

As to modern use, see “Syntax” (Sec. 459).

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME.

314.  They are after, during, pending, till or until; also many of the prepositions of place express time when put before words indicating time, such as at, between, by, about, on, within, etc.

These are all familiar, and need no special remark.

EXCLUSION OR SEPARATION.

315.  The chief ones are besides, but, except, save, without.  The participle excepting is also used as a preposition.

MISCELLANEOUS PREPOSITIONS.

316.  Against implies opposition, sometimes place where.  In colloquial English it is sometimes used to express time, now and then also in literary English; for example,—­

     She contrived to fit up the baby’s cradle for me against
     night.—­SWIFT

About, and the participial prepositions concerning, respecting, regarding, mean with reference to.

[Sidenote:  Phrase prepositions.]

317.  Many phrases are used as single prepositions:  by means of, by virtue of, by help of, by dint of, by force of; out of, on account of, by way of, for the sake of; in consideration of, in spite of, in defiance of, instead of, in view of, in place of; with respect to, with regard to, according to, agreeably to; and some others.