In Algonquian languages, preverbs can be described as phonologically separate words that may precede a verb and share its inflection.
In Caddoan linguistics, preverbal elements are less well defined as a class, and often, "preverb" designates a part of the verbal root that can be separated from the rest of the root by certain prefixes, as in this Wichita example: ta-INDIC-i-3SG-aa-PVB-tíísaasmedicinekirliquidri-portative-ʔacome-s-IMPERFta- i- aa- tíísaas kir ri- ʔa -sINDIC- 3SG- PVB- medicine liquid portative- come -IMPERFHe is bringing (liquid) medicineIn Northwest Caucasian languages, they can have nouns, directional and locative preverbs (like prepositions), like in this example from Ubykh: sɨ-1SG-bʁʲɜ-PVB-w-2SG-qʼɜtalk-nɜjtʼ-IMPERFsɨ- bʁʲɜ- w- qʼɜ -nɜjtʼ1SG- PVB- 2SG- talk -IMPERFYou were talking about me(literally, 'you were talking on me')For Mandarin Chinese and many other varieties of Chinese, the term refers to some words that carry the meanings of prepositions in English.
The Pre-verb can be positioned at the end of the sentence, owing to versification requirements: از کارِ خير عزمِ تو هرگز نگشت باز هرگز زِ راه بازنگشتهست هيچ تير Manuchehri (11th - 12th Century AD) Pingelapese is a language spoken on the Island of Pingelap atoll, located in Micronesia.
[2] In the constructed language Toki Pona, a preverb is a class of words that can be placed at the start of the predicate in front of the verb.
Some examples: mi1.PN∅PMwileDESmokueatmi ∅ wile moku1.PN PM DES eatI/we want to eatoOPT.PMawenCONTponagoodo awen ponaOPT.PM CONT goodStay good(e.g. keep being well, may you stay healthy, etc.
)ona3.PNliPMkenPOTalaNEGkamaINCEPsonaknoweDOniDEM.PNona li ken ala kama sona e ni3.PN PM POT NEG INCEP know DO DEM.PNThey aren't capable of learning this(More literally: They can not come to know this)PVB:preverb