TIAL morphemes and examples
Eng English glosses
dfn terms defined in this chapter
ref terms defined in other chapters
Tag interlinear tags
As was noted, TIAL verbs aren't marked for tense. They are, however, marked for aspect, specifying the stage an action is in at the time in question. This delimits tense somewhat in that absolute present time and aoristic aspect are incompatible.
Something that should first be noted: there are two kinds of verbs with regard to aspect: dynamic verbs, denoting some action or process where change is likely to occur, and static verbs, denoting some state (this includes most of what what would in other languages be adjectives and prepositions).
The various aspects and their applications are indicated using prefixes, summarized in the table below.
| Prefix | Tag | Name | Description | Type | Acts As |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (none) | Stat. | Stative | state in progress | Static | Static |
| fi- | Inch- | Inchoative | entry to state | Static | Dynamic |
| di- | Term- | Terminative | exit from state | Static | Dynamic |
| (none) | Aor. | Aoristic | event taken as a whole | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| zu- | Prg- | Progressive | event in progress | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| ge- | Ret- | Retrospective | result of action or process | Dynamic | Static |
| va- | Pro- | Prospective | readiness for event | Dynamic | Static |
| bi- | Hab- | Habitual | multiple occurrences | Dynamic (or Static) | |
Note that the stative aspect is native to static verbs and the aoristic to dynamic verbs.
The habitual aspect is applied most often to dynamic verbs, but can be applied to static verbs as well.
The inchoative and terminative prefixes are strictly speaking derivational rather than marking aspect; they change the verb from static to dynamic and allow further aspect prefixing.
Examples:
damo gekante.
"The woman has sung."
viro vabayle.
"The man is ready to dance."
kano zukurre.
"The dog is running."
gatto bidorme.
"The cats sleep."
| beva | drink | karno | meat |
Translate into English:
1. ci te vamanja yo karno?
Translate into TIAL:
1. The child has eaten an apple.
page started: 2010.Jun.27 Sun
current date: 2012.May.07 Mon
content and form originated by qiihoskeh
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