Why the noun ‘glimpse’ takes preposition ‘of’

Using the word glimpse as a substantive (noun), The Standard on Sunday (in 2012) gave it the preposition “at” in a page one pointer to a page 32 story.

But on page 32 itself, it gave it the preposition “of”. The question immediately arose: which of the two prepositions is the correct one?

In the first place, however, what is a glimpse? It is a very quick view of something (usually spectacular). Because the view of that something is so brief, you get only a vague idea of it.

Nevertheless — on that very account — the idea is, as a rule, an extremely tantalising one. A glimpse can be like the will-o’-the-wisp — namely, something which, because you discern its attractiveness only from a distance, is extremely elusive to the grasp. In short, a glimpse is a deceptive allure.

The verb to glimpse means to get a fleeting look at, to catch sight of, something momentarily. To glimpse is to espy.

English derives this other verb from the old French verb espier (pronounced: es-pee-eh), which meant to catch sight of something, but quite by happenstance, and as if merely with the corner of your eye.

It is from the French verb espier that we derive the noun espionage — infamous in international relations — namely, the use of spies by, say, a government to obtain secret information from detractors, enemies or competitors, internal or external.

The noun glimpse, then, means a brief view, a vague indication. On a tour of a Kenyan game park, a Finn who has never seen a real bonobo will be extremely excited by the sudden appearance – a glimpse of — a chimp, but probably extremely frustrated that the ape has immediately vanished into the bush.

Driving though Karen, I was impressed by my first glimpse of the newly built official residence of the vice-president of the Republic of Kenya.

On my way to a retreat at Kilaguni a few months ago, Konza gave me my first glimpse of Kenya’s hi-tech cities of the far future.

But — much more sombrely — we need no Ezekiel or any other prophet to tell us what may befall our country come March 4. From the daily conduct of our politicians, any child with a modicum of intelligence can see glimpses of a national catastrophe.

That, then, is the answer to the question we posed at the peg of our article. It is that the noun glimpse takes the preposition of, not the preposition at.

Yet – no matter how fleeting it may be – a glimpse implies deep concentration. As any spy will tell you, a glimpse can be deeply thoroughgoing and penetrating.

That is probably why some users of English frequently deploy the preposition into interchangeably with the preposition of.

Many writers in the language speak of a “glimpse into”, rather than a “glimpse of”. I, for one, often have a dreamlike glimpse into the shape of Mr Mugo’s Kenya in the mystical year 2030. But take your pick because both are the same price.

Philip Ochieng is a veteran journalist