disappearing prepositions

[Sean Fitzpatrick]

<<And what does the new preposition 'absent' have to offer that 'without'
lacks?>>

Is "absent" really a preposition, or is it part of a nominative absolute:  "absent X" = "X being absent"?

As for the other variants--are they education and class markers?

Seán Fitzpatrick
Beer is good food
http://www.logomachon.blogspot.com/
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Robert Wachal 
Sent: Sunday, 26 September, 2004 14:26
Subject: disappearing prepositions


When I was growing up a loooong time ago, if someone died, it was said that
they "passed away". Now everyone seems to say, "they passed".

We used to say "pissed/shit in their pants," now it's "pissed/shit their
pants"

Once people spoke of "being graduated from college', later "graduating from
college"; now it's "graduated college".

And what does the new preposition 'absent' have to offer that 'without'
lacks?