Chapter 4

Axial Parts beyond space

This chapter investigates the nature of Axial Parts (AxPs)/Relational nouns(RelN) and their relationship with Grounds in spatial expressions and beyond. We argue that the relation between AxPs and Grounds is predicative. We challenge the view that prepositions inherently encode spatial meanings, arguing instead that they function as general relators whose specific interpretation depends on the context. The Finnish locative system is examined as a challenge to existing accounts, and a novel structure with a “double inclusion layer” is proposed. Cross-linguistic evidence, mainly basing on Italian and Persian data, supports our analysis, showing that AxPs spread beyond spatial expressions and that prepositions act as general relators for the predicative content.