Correspondence concerning the Particle bis

The proper usage & meaning of the German particle bis is discussed in the format of a set of letters between Ludwig & Holschuh. Through an extensive set of examples, it is concluded that bis is a particle that behaves as if it belongs to different word classes & categories in different contexts, thereby putting it in a class by itself. It appears to act as an adverb at times, but not in other respects. Its status as a preposition or conjunction is argued, as is influence on case. Although it enters into preposition-like constructions, it is unclear what case it rules. The literature in general claims that bis takes an accusative object, yet it is shown that this is not always the case - bis may also take the dative. 16 References. A. Thyme