The preposition "za". Expressing purpose relationships in LPQR by means of prepositions

The primary spatial meaning of the preposition za is to indicate that something is located behind an object.

The garden is behind the house.
Sad nahoditsja za dom.

To express movement into a position behind an object, LPQR uses the compound preposition v-za.

I went behind the house.
Ja zašjol v-za dom.

This basic spatial meaning gives rise to two temporal meanings of za. Conceptually, the subject stands "behind" the time interval introduced by the preposition.

1. Duration required to complete an action

He read the book in one week.
On pročital kniga za njedjelja.

Here the subject is conceptually located behind a time interval extending from the future toward the past.

2. Time before another event

They arrived at the station one hour before the train departed.
Oni prijehal v stacija za čas do othod na pojezd.

Here the subject is likewise conceptualized as standing behind a time interval, but the interval extends from the past toward the future.

For this reason, the construction za ... do fits naturally into the semantic logic of the LPQR preposition za.

However, LPQR also allows an alternative construction:

Oni prijehal v stacija minus čas do othod na pojezd.

This formulation has the advantage of avoiding possible ambiguity with the first temporal meaning of za, namely the duration within which an action is completed.

Likewise, the construction čerjez ... poslje may be replaced by plus ... poslje.

Other meanings of za can also be derived from its primary spatial meaning.

In many languages, the expression "to stand behind someone" means to support or defend that person. Accordingly, za may denote the person, group, or organization that receives one's support or protection.

The mother worries about her daughter.
Matj bespokoitsja za dočj.

Vote for the candidate from our party.
Golosovatj za kandidat ot partija-u-nas.

Support may be directed not only toward people but also toward the achievement of a goal.

To advocate the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.
Vǐstupatj za rešanije-bjez-nasilije na konfliktĭ-mježdu-narodĭ.

Thus za acquires another important meaning: it can express the purpose or objective of an action.

Purpose may also be expressed by the preposition dlja.

The use of dlja is recommended when the purpose is a specific concrete action that serves as the objective of another concrete action.

For example, the Russian sentence:

He came to participate in the competition.

may be translated as

On prijehal za učastije na sorevnovanii.

However, the preferred translation is

On prijehal dlja učastije na sorevnovanii.

On the other hand:

On borolsja za učastije na sorevnovanii.

is correct, whereas

On borolsja dlja učastije...

is not recommended.

The preposition dlja is likewise used when referring to the use of a material object in a specific activity.

Sponge cake for tea.
Biskvit dlja čjajepitije.

As discussed earlier, dlja is also the normal marker of the beneficiary of an action.

Anna gives a book to her friend.
Anna darit kniga dlja podruga.

Returning to za, LPQR treats not only ideas, states, and actions as possible goals but also concrete objects, especially physical objects that the subject intends to obtain, collect, or simply pick up and carry away.

He went to the pharmacy for medicine.
On pošjol v apotheka za ljekarstvǐ.

She is going to buy bread.
Ona idti za hleb.

He pays for the purchase.
On platit za pokupka.

Thus za may often be translated into English as to get, to obtain, to buy, or to fetch.

This leads to an interesting consequence.

One may say:

prodatj <something> za denjgi
("to sell something for money")

However,

kupitj <something> za denjgi

would literally mean

to buy something in order to obtain money.

Therefore LPQR prefers verbs such as zaplatitj ("to pay") or otdatj ("to give").

I bought a television for 500 dollars.
Ja kupil televisor, otdal 500 dolarǐ.

For the same semantic reason, constructions such as

• blagodaritj za...

• kompensacija za...

• mestj za...

are not recommended.

Instead, LPQR preferably uses the compound preposition kak-otvjet-na ("as a response to").

He began thanking me for the good advice I had given his wife.
On stal blagodaritj mjenje kak-otvet-na dobrǐj sovetǐ dlja žena-u-njevo.

Please accept this modest gift as gratitude for your help.
Vǐ, prinjatj eto njedorogoj podarok kak blagodarnostj kak-otvet-na pomošj ot vas.

Whenever no ambiguity arises, the longer preposition kak-otvjet-na may be shortened simply to na.

In certain contexts, the preposition izza may also be appropriate.

Revenge for murdered friends.
Mestj izza drugi-bǐl-ubijen.

Some other Russian constructions containing за are translated into LPQR without using the preposition za at all.

In Russian, за often marks the object that someone holds, grasps, or touches. LPQR expresses this meaning differently.

He is holding onto the railing.
On deržitsja perilo.
(deržatjsja is a transitive verb in LPQR.)

The dog bit the boy on the leg.
Ċanus ukusil noga u etot maljčik.
or
Sobaka ukusil etot maljčik, jevo noga.

When referring to the object beside which someone is positioned while performing an activity, LPQR uses the preposition pri, not za.

He is sitting at the table.
On sidjet pri stol.

He is working at the computer.
On rabotat pri computer.