Examples.—Li staris momente antaŭ la spegulo, kaj tuj poste venis antaŭ la reĝon = He stood for a moment before the looking-glass, and then came before (into the presence of) the king. La infano dancis en la korto, kaj poste kuris en la ĝardenon = The child danced in (not into) the courtyard, and then ran into (not in) the garden. Ĵetu tion sub la tablon = Throw that under the table. Ĵetu la ŝtonon super la muron = Throw the stone over the wall. Mi prenas sur min tiun ĉi aferon = I take upon myself this business (moral movement, therefore accusative, since sur does not of itself show movement). La knabo vadis trans la riveron kaj trans ĝi trovis aliajn knabojn = The boy waded across the river, and, on the other side of it, found other boys.
258. Prepositional expressions.—Adverbs are not unfrequently followed by prepositions, thus forming prepositional expressions which take the nominative case, like simple prepositions.
Examples.—Meze de la kampo = In the middle of the field. Funde de kesto = At the bottom of a box. Flanke de la malliberulo = At the side of the prisoner. Proksime de la preĝejo = Near the church. Dekstre de la vojo = On the right of the road. Supre de la muro = At the top of the wall. Dank’ al lia konsilo = Thanks to his advice. Li venis kune kun sia frato = He came together (along) with his brother.
Li estas for de tie ĉi = He is away from here. Oni plantis arbon proksime de la puto = They planted a tree near the well. Metu vian manon for de mia kolo! = Take your hand off (away from) my neck.
(a). A few adverbs, used as prepositional expressions, are sometimes followed by a suitable preposition and sometimes not; in the latter case the complement is in the accusative, to show the omission (par. [253]).
Examples.—Koncerne tiun aferon (or, Koncerne je tiu afero) = Concerning that matter. Konforme tion (or, Konforme al, kun or, je tio) = In conformity with that. Rilate lian karakteron (or, Rilate al lia karaktero) = With regard to (relative to, as regards, referring to) his character (par. [247])
N.B.—These phrases are alternatives for simple prepositions. We might, in some cases, use pri for koncerne je or rilate al, and laŭ for konforme al.
(b). Two prepositions sometimes are used.
Examples.—"Eniru!" ekkriegis voĉo de en la pordo = "Come in!" shouted a voice from within (inside) the door. Li rampis de sub la sofo = He crept from under the sofa. La ŝtono havis la alton (or, altecon) de ĉirkaŭ ok centimetroj kaj la larĝon (or, larĝecon) de ĉirkaŭ kvin centimetroj = The stone had the height of about eight centimetres and the width of about five centimetres. El sub la tirkestaro la muso kuris sub la liton = Out from under the chest of drawers the mouse ran under the bed. Ne rapidu foriri de antaŭ li = Do not hasten to leave his presence (go away from before him).
259. The relation of prepositions to their complement.—English grammarians divide prepositions into various classes, but in Esperanto, with the exception of those mentioned in par. [257], denoting motion and rest, there are but two classes to which we need pay special attention, viz., those which relate to both place and time; and of these, two