Spanish preposition meaning 'by', 'for', 'through', or 'because of', indicating various relationships including agency, exchange, or movement.
From Latin per 'through, by means of', which evolved into Spanish por through regular sound changes. The Latin per developed multiple meanings in Romance languages, with Spanish por taking on some of the functions of Latin propter 'on account of' as well.
Por is one of Spanish's most versatile and challenging prepositions for learners, with over a dozen distinct uses from expressing gratitude (gracias por) to indicating multiplication (dos por tres). Its competition with para creates one of Spanish grammar's most notorious difficulties, as both can sometimes translate to English 'for'.
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