diff --git a/docs/_data/xpath_funs.yml b/docs/_data/xpath_funs.yml
index 86041d65cc..3626563d24 100644
--- a/docs/_data/xpath_funs.yml
+++ b/docs/_data/xpath_funs.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ aliases:
     type: "xs:element"
     description: "Any element node"
   - &needs_typenode "The context node must be a {% jdoc jast::TypeNode %}"
-  - &not_ctx_dependent "The function is not context-dependent, but takes a node as its first parameter."
+  - &coord_fun_note |
+      The function is not context-dependent, but takes a node as its first parameter.
+      The function is only available in XPath 2.0.
   - &needs_node_ctx "The requires the context node to be an element"
 
 langs:
@@ -32,19 +34,19 @@ langs:
           - code: "//b[pmd:fileName() = 'Foo.xml']"
             outcome: "Matches any `<b>` tags in files called `Foo.xml`."
 
-      - name: beginLine
+      - name: startLine
         returnType: "xs:int"
         parameters:
           - *node_param
-        shortDescription: "Returns the begin line of the given node"
+        shortDescription: "Returns the start line of the given node"
         description: |
           Returns the line where the node starts in the source file.
           Line numbers are 1-based.
 
         since: 6.44.0
-        notes: *not_ctx_dependent
+        notes: *coord_fun_note
         examples:
-          - code: "//b[pmd:beginLine(.) > 5]"
+          - code: "//b[pmd:startLine(.) > 5]"
             outcome: "Matches any `<b>` node which starts after the fifth line."
 
       - name: endLine
@@ -57,11 +59,40 @@ langs:
           Line numbers are 1-based.
 
         since: 6.44.0
-        notes: *not_ctx_dependent
+        notes: *coord_fun_note
         examples:
-          - code: "//b[pmd:endLine(.) == pmd:beginLine(.)]"
+          - code: "//b[pmd:endLine(.) == pmd:startLine(.)]"
             outcome: "Matches any `<b>` node which doesn't span more than one line."
 
+      - name: startColumn
+        returnType: "xs:int"
+        parameters:
+          - *node_param
+        shortDescription: "Returns the start column of the given node (inclusive)"
+        description: |
+          Returns the column number where the node starts in the source file.
+          Column numbers are 1-based. The start column is inclusive.
+
+        since: 6.44.0
+        notes: *coord_fun_note
+        examples:
+          - code: "//b[pmd:startColumn(.) = 1]"
+            outcome: "Matches any `<b>` node which starts on the first column of a line"
+
+      - name: endColumn
+        returnType: "xs:int"
+        parameters:
+          - *node_param
+        shortDescription: "Returns the end column of the given node (exclusive)"
+        description: |
+          Returns the column number where the node ends in the source file.
+          Column numbers are 1-based. The end column is exclusive.
+
+        since: 6.44.0
+        notes: *coord_fun_note
+        examples:
+          - code: "//b[pmd:startLine(.) = pmd:endLine(.) and pmd:endColumn(.) - pmd:startColumn(.) = 1]"
+            outcome: "Matches any `<b>` node which spans exactly one character"
 
   - name: "Java"
     ns: "pmd-java"
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/xpath/PMDFunctions.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/xpath/PMDFunctions.java
index 5fb1a48c15..e4d99dcd4a 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/xpath/PMDFunctions.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/xpath/PMDFunctions.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.ast.xpath.saxon.ElementNode;
 import net.sf.saxon.dom.NodeWrapper;
 import net.sf.saxon.expr.XPathContext;
 import net.sf.saxon.om.Item;
+import net.sf.saxon.om.NodeInfo;
 
 
 @InternalApi
@@ -61,16 +62,26 @@ public final class PMDFunctions {
         return node == null ? null : FileNameXPathFunction.getFileName(node);
     }
 
-    public static int beginLine(Item item) {
+    public static int startLine(NodeInfo item) {
         Node node = Objects.requireNonNull(itemToNode(item), "not a node " + item);
         return node.getBeginLine();
     }
 
-    public static int endLine(Item item) {
+    public static int endLine(NodeInfo item) {
         Node node = Objects.requireNonNull(itemToNode(item), "not a node " + item);
         return node.getEndLine();
     }
 
+    public static int startColumn(NodeInfo item) {
+        Node node = Objects.requireNonNull(itemToNode(item), "not a node " + item);
+        return node.getBeginColumn();
+    }
+
+    public static int endColumn(NodeInfo item) {
+        Node node = Objects.requireNonNull(itemToNode(item), "not a node " + item);
+        return node.getEndColumn() + 1; // exclusive
+    }
+
     private static Node itemToNode(Object item) {
         if (item instanceof Node) {
             return (Node) item;