3 Postpositions

Section 3

Postpositions are invariant words placed **after** noun phrases. A noun phrase carries at most one postposition. There are **eleven postpositions** in two layers. The four core postpositions share `n`-onset and cover spatial, possessive, and temporal-endpoint relations.

Postpositions are invariant words placed **after** noun phrases. A noun phrase carries at most one postposition. There are **eleven postpositions** in two layers.

> For disambiguation between postpositions and particles sharing the same form, see [§8 Disambiguation Master Reference](#8-disambiguation-master-reference).

### 3.1 Core Postpositions

The four core postpositions share `n`-onset and cover spatial, possessive, and temporal-endpoint relations.

| Postposition | Role                                                        | Example                               |
|--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| `no`         | genitive / possessive / topical (*about, concerning*)       | `mata no tima` — the mother's message |
| `ne`         | locative — at, in (space only)                              | `koma ne` — at home                   |
| `na`         | allative — toward (space) / until (time) / dative recipient | `kina na` — to the settlement         |
| `ni`         | ablative — from (space) / since (time)                      | `hara ni` — from the high place       |

**`na` disambiguation** — the three readings are distinguished by the semantic type of the following noun: a place (spatial), a time-span (temporal), or an animate recipient (dative). See also [§6.9 Ditransitive Constructions](#69-ditransitive-constructions).

### 3.2 Temporal Postposition

`to` is promoted from the Time domain particle to serve as the dedicated **temporal locative**, keeping spatial and temporal *at* distinct.

| Postposition | Role                             | Example                                |
|--------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| `to`         | temporal — at, during, in (time) | `frimo to kan-pa` — sang during winter |

> **Rule:** `ne` is strictly spatial; `to` is strictly temporal.