The preposition "po"

Another interesting preposition in the LPQR language is “po”. Its basic meaning is to indicate the area or stretch of space through which movement takes place.

• Korablj plǐt po more — The ship is sailing across the sea.

• Auto jehat po chaussée — The car is driving along the highway.

• On hodit po komnata — He is walking around the room.

• Ptica ljetat po nebo — The bird is flying through the sky.

• Djeti bježat po dvor — The children are running around the yard.

• Pjotr bǐl vo voyaǧ(e) po Evropa — Peter was travelling around Europe.

• Krovj tjok po stjena — Blood was flowing down the wall.

Three other meanings of the preposition “po” are related to situations involving specific kinds of information.

Nouns following the preposition “po” often denote a field of human activity requiring specific knowledge and skills, such as an academic discipline or a sport. The construction “po” + <noun> is used as an attribute when referring to information concerning that field, as well as to the application of the corresponding knowledge and skills, in particular to activities or events related to such a field.

• Lekcǐja po chemie — a lecture on chemistry

• Sorevnovanii po plavanije — a swimming competition

• Urok po physika — a physics lesson

• Učjebnik po geographija — a geography textbook

The third meaning of the preposition “po” indicates information according to which an action is performed:

• igratj po pravilĭ — to play according to the rules

• pribĭtj po razpisanije — to arrive according to the schedule

• ujehatj po sovjet ot vrači — to leave on the doctors’ advice

• pisatj po starĭj orthographia — to write according to the old orthography

• dviženije po grafik — movement according to the timetable

• spektakel po pjesa — a production based on a play

There is also a fourth meaning of the preposition “po”, which is likewise related to information. The preposition indicates a criterion by which objects differ from one another and is used when referring to distinctions, separation, distribution, or sorting:

• vrač po profesija — a doctor by profession

• učitelj po profesija — a teacher by profession

• staršij po vozrast — older by age

• važen po značenije — important in terms of meaning

• godjen na služba po zdorovjje — fit for service in terms of health

• znatjen po proishoždenije — noble by origin

• raspredelitj po kategorii — to distribute by category

• sortirovatj po numer — to sort by number

Other Russian constructions with “по”

Many other Russian constructions with the preposition “по” are translated into LPQR using different constructions.

Here, as requested, each example is given in English, Russian, and LPQR:

Thus, the LPQR preposition “po” retains a clear connection with its basic spatial meaning: movement through an area of space. From this spatial meaning, the language develops several related meanings involving a field of knowledge or activity, information according to which an action is performed, and a criterion used to distinguish, classify, or distribute objects. In other Russian constructions, however, the corresponding meaning is expressed in LPQR by other prepositions or constructions rather than by “po”.