GREEK PREPOSITIONS. 



oJ J 



"of parallelograms round the diameter," — " parallelograms, — 

 " boundary of the diameter, — forming the boundary of the dia- 

 " meter." Ilifi r^iymou xvxXov xi^iy^a.-^cci, (Euclid), " to de- 

 " fcribe a circle round a triangle," — " to defcribe a circle, — a 

 " circumference or boundary of the triangle." 



Though 'ai/^<p\ and ^rsj), as commonly ufed, are almofl fyno- 

 nymous, yet we fometimes find the poets, to make their expref- 

 fion more copious, join both prepofitions with the fame noun. 



"E^Soi^iv. Homer. 



" We were facrificing round about the fountain and the facred 

 " altars," — " we were facrificing, — place comprehended by us, 

 " —the circumference of the fountain and the facred altars." 



Ilsf), fignifying circumference or boundary, is fometimes ap- 

 plied to denote ?!ea?-j the furrounding obje6l, in this cafe, being 

 fuppofed to go about the other without precifely touching it. 

 'Er/Vrs TEg'i TO i\vd^oii, " he fell near the tree," — " he fell, — in the 

 " ipace bounding or boundary of the tree." 



It is chiefly when applied to time that this lafl: fenfe of rs^i 

 occurs. Ilso) [/.i(rijiJt,C^ia.'j ^xh, " he came about noon," — " he 

 " came, — time in which his coming happened, — the period fur- 

 " rounding noon, — not adlually at it." 



It was by an eafy and obvious tranfition from the radical 

 fenfe, that reg) was made to exprefs concerning or about a fubjedl, 

 meaning the fubjedl which the thought or the difcourfe com- 

 prehends or forms the boundary of. Toyyutru^o; ■zo'kvg xt^) a.vTu nv, 

 {Jo. vii. 12.), " they murmured much concerning 'liim," — 

 " they murmured, — the murmur comprehending him." TLs^) 

 T^ mXit hhitmi, (Thucyd.), " to be afraid for or concerning 

 " the city," — " to be afraid,— objed which the fear included or 

 " comprehended, — the whole city." 



Zz2 -n;.tjri. ne^J 



