Definition of the word postpositional

The term "postpositional" refers to a grammatical feature in some languages, where function words (known as postpositions) appear at the end of a phrase or sentence rather than at the beginning or within it, as is typical in prefixing or infixing languages. Postpositional languages are primarily found in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, with notable examples including Japanese, Turkish, and some Native American languages. The concept of postpositions can be traced back to the 19th century, when linguists began categorizing languages based on the patterns and order of words. The word "postpositional" itself comes from the Latin prefix "post," meaning "after," and the English suffix "-ional," meaning "related to." Together, the term "postpositional" captures the idea that function words in these languages come after the nouns or phrases they modify, setting them apart from other grammatical structures.