Path
Which route does it take?
المعنى
We can say which route something takes as it moves or passes through. It can follow a line, cross an area, or pass through an opening. Languages mark routes with words, endings, or the verb itself, and some have no special route endings. Unlike Direction and destination, Path describes the way taken, not the place aimed for.
طريقة التعرّف عليه
Look for the part that says which route something follows or what it passes through, across, or along.
في اللغة الأم
Arabic expresses a route with words and phrases such as ʿabra 'through/across' and ʿalā ṭūli 'along.' A verb such as ʿabara 'cross' can itself describe the route taken. These expressions describe the movement's course rather than only its destination.
عَبَرْنَا الشَّارِعَ. (ʿAbarnā al-shāriʿa.)
The verb itself expresses movement from one side to the other.
مَرَرْنَا عَبْرَ الْقَرْيَةِ. (Mararnā ʿabra al-qaryati.)
تَمَشَّيْنَا عَلَى طُولِ النَّهْرِ. (Tamashshaynā ʿalā ṭūli al-nahri.)
في اللغة قيد التعلم
English uses through for passing within an area or passage, across for crossing from one side to another, and along for following a line or edge. These words come before the place that forms the route, but some can also be used without a following noun.
We walked along the river.
Along shows that the route follows the river.
The bus went through the tunnel.
Through shows passage within the tunnel.
Ella ran across the street.
Across shows movement from one side of the street to the other.
Learners whose language uses one general crossing word may confuse through, across, and over. Learners whose language uses the same form for location and route may choose a location preposition when they need to make crossing or following a route clear.