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In a comment on this answer, luchonacho comments that tenus is a preposition taking the genitive; this seemed odd to me, since I'd never considered tenus anything akin to a preposition.
Tenus seems to be a "postposition", in that it comes after a noun. But how does this work, syntactically? Are "postpositions" a proper category in Latin, like prepositions are? If not, what are they?
Can we broaden the discussion to cover these five postpositional prepositions, please.
scuolaeculturaoggi lists "PREPOSIZIONI CHE REGGONO IL GENITIVO (generalmente premesso):
causa = per
gratia = per
tenus = *fino a
instar = a mo' di, a somiglianza di, come un
N.B. tenus si può costruire indifferentemente e con lo stesso significato anche con l’ablativo
Paulo Barbosa, gives these five with Genitive (4 sempre posposições)
Emolumendi sui gratia = por amor do seu interesse.
Usurpandi juris causa = por motivos de exercer jurisdição.
Voluminis instar = à maneira de volume
Forminidis ergo = por causa do medo. (porém Tito Lívio a emprega como preposição.)
Clam patris = às escondida do pai.
