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Chapter 2. Toward(s), to, in/into, inward, outward, through, out (of), from (vs off), away (from)
7.2 Out 7.2.1 The basic meaning of out We see the basic meaning, , in (34), where the scenarioG is that first of all a Subject is in a Landmark and then it isn’t: (34) I was terrified that I might trip and fall out of the plane.W
This meaning figures in a great many metaphorical expressions which have strong literal roots: (35) Watch out! Look out! (36) The Scottish guy read this…out to me.W
Example (35) means something like ‘Don’t day-dream, don’t introspect, look out into your surroundings’. As for (36), when someone speaks, sound waves literally emanate from inside their head. 7.2.2 Out ~ ‘in all directions away from a central Landmark’ In this usage, out is similar to one sense of outward (§8, below) but less vivid. Imagine rays extending out from a cartoon sun or spokes radiating out from the hub of a bicycle wheel (see also Figure 2.3 above). (37) As you melt butter on a griddle, it spreads out.
Here, the scenario is: first a small area (or volume), then a larger area (or volume) outside and surrounding the original one, like this: first , then . 7.2.3 O ut : Straightforward metaphorical usages of the basic meaning Some linguists have claimed that prepositions are often ‘delexical’, that is, that they have little or no meaning. In fact, the basic meanings of most prepositions are so substantial that we routinely use them metaphorically in order to make sense of non-physical experience, something we could hardly do if the tendency were for prepositions to be relatively meaningless. For instance, (38) speaks of an action as if it can emerge from love rather like bread can come out of an oven, LOVE ACTION. (38) She did it out of love.W
In (39), a difficulty is likened to something like a deep hole or quagmire that one can be pulled out of. (39) Can any of your readers kindly help me out of a difficulty?W
In example (40) out of portrays an action, as a space or place that can be entered or exited. The implication is that ‘Liz’ was in the ‘decision space’ where she was going to do more housework, but then the speaker helped her ‘out’ of it.