In the principled polysemy model of lexical representation the central sense for a preposition such as over is directly grounded in a specific kind of recurring spatial scene. This spatial scene, which relates a spatial trajector and a landmark in a particular spatiogeometric configuration, is called the proto-scene.

While the proto-scene is a type of image schema, it is distinct from the central image schema proposed for over in George Lakoff’s full-specification model because it relates to a distinct and discrete spatial scene. The small circle represents the trajector (TR) and the unbroken line the landmark (LM). The fact that the TR is located above the LM indicates that the spatiogeometric relation involves a ‘higher than’ or above relation. The dashed line indicates that the TR must be within a region proximal to the LM.