Non-Spatial Meanings of the Preposition v (vo)

The non-spatial meanings of the preposition v are derived directly from its two spatial meanings through the metaphorical use of the concept of space.

One important extension concerns temporal relations. In LPQR, a period of time or a specific point in time is conceptualized as a kind of space within which an action or event takes place.

Kanikulǐ budjet v Januar.
The holidays will be in January.

Naš djeda v molodostj.
Our grandfather in his youth.

Koncert bǐl v djenj-saturn
The concert was on Saturday.

Another metaphorical extension treats a covering, wrapper, or piece of clothing as a kind of enclosing space.

Krasivǐj djevuška v krasivǐj platjje.
A beautiful girl in a beautiful dress.

Zavernutj v bumaga.
To wrap in paper.

Konfetǐ v objertka.
Candies in wrappers.

Odjetjsja v šuba.
To put on a fur coat.

Likewise, a state in which an object exists or an emotion into which a person falls is conceptualized as a kind of space.

Gorod prišol v temnota.
The city was plunged into darkness.

Otec prišol v gnev.
The father flew into a rage.

In the conceptual framework of LPQR, the transformation of an object—that is, its transition from one state to another—is likewise understood as movement toward a destination.

Voda prevrašjatsja v par.
Water turns into steam.

As another consequence of this conceptualization, quantitative changes by a factor are also treated in LPQR as a kind of transformation, and therefore as movement toward a destination.

A decrease in quantity or size is viewed as the transformation of a whole into a fractional part.

Fractions are expressed as follows:

• odin pjatǐj čjastj — one fifth

• tri pjatǐj čjasti — three fifths

• odin vosjmoj čjastj — one eighth

• pjatj vosjmoj čjasti — five eighths

The numeral odin ("one") may be omitted when the fraction equals one part:

• vtoroǐj čjastj — polovina - one half

• tretǐj častj — tret - one third

• čjetǐrtǐj  častj — čjetǐrt - one quarter

• sjemǐj častj — one seventh

Accordingly, the expression:

"to reduce sevenfold"

is translated as:

umenjšitj v sjemǐj častj

Instead of

• umenjšitj v vtorǐj častj

• umenjšitj v tretǐj častj

• umenjšitj v čjetǐrtǐj častj

one may also say:

• umenjšitj v polovina

• umenjšitj v tret

• umenjšitj v čjetǐrt

The expression "to increase several times" is translated simply as:

uveličitj v njeskoljko razǐ

There is, however, an important distinction.

In LPQR, the noun raz ("time, occurrence") has a precisely defined meaning. It is directly associated with the concept of povtorjenije ("repetition").

For example, instead of saying

povtoritj

one may say

sdelatj dva razǐ
(to do something two times).

Likewise,

odin raz

literally means without repetition, that is, once.

Consequently,

uveličitj v semj razǐ

means to multiply a quantity or size by seven.

For this reason, LPQR allows the expression

uveličitj v njeskoljko razǐ
(to increase severalfold),

whereas the expression

umenjšitj v njeskoljko razǐ

is not considered correct. A reduction must instead be expressed by indicating the fractional part into which the original quantity is transformed.