GREEK PREPOSITIONS. 



3Ji 



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

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

 " meter." Heg) Tglywov xvrJ.ov TTzgiygcc^cu, (Euclid), " to de- 

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

 " circumference or boundary of the triangle." 



Though 'ky.tp) and t££<, as commonly ufed, are almoft fyno- 

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

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



' 'H^c«5 £' a.u><pi irtg) Kg7]vrjV legs? zurci Qayxg, 



"Egtioftsy. Homer. 



" We were facrificing round about the fountain and the facred 

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

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



Tlsft, fignifying circumference or boundary, is fometimes ap- 

 plied to denote near; the furrounding object, in this cafe, being 

 fuppofed to go about the other without precifely touching it. 

 'Et/We tsp) to tihdgov, " he fell near the tree," — lt he fell, — in the 

 " fpace bounding or boundary of the tree." 



Tt is chiefly when applied to time that this lafl fenfe of rigi 

 occurs. ITe^; ysi<rnyQgia.v n\h, " he came about noon," — " he 

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

 " rounding noon, — not actually at it." 



It was by an eafy and obvious transition from the radical 

 fenfe, that vsgi was made to exprefs concerning or about a fu eject., 

 meaning the fubject which the thought or the difcourfe com- 

 prehends or forms the boundary of. ToyyvcyJog voXv$ veg) aurS ijv, 

 (Jo. vii. 12.), " they murmured much concerning him," — 

 " they murmured, — the murmur comprehending him." Ui§) 

 t5J ko\u fohivou, (Thpcyd.), " to be afraid for or concerning 

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

 " comprehended,— the whole city." 



Z z 2 Tie?) 



