Aspect

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Aspect is a category used to indicate the temporal internal structure of an event.

Natural language

In synthetic languages, the distinction between grammatical tense, aspect and mood is fuzzy and at times controversial. In order to avoid the problems concerning isolating these categories, which are often amalgamated in a single morpheme, the UNLarium proposes a single TAM (Tense-Aspect-Mood) typology, to be found here.

UNL

In UNL, aspect is to be represented by attributes indicating the temporal internal structure of the event.


Aspect values may be combined.
I start to eat = eat.@inceptive
I'm starting to eat = eat.@inceptive.@progressive


Examples

  • @continuative: I'm still eating the apple.
  • @experiential: I have already eaten an apple
  • @habitual: I eat apples.
  • @imperfective: I was eating the apple (when she came).
  • @inceptive: I start eating the apple.
  • @iterative: I ate and ate the apple.
  • @perfective: I ate the apple.
  • @progressive: I'm eating the apple.
  • @prospective: I'm about to eat the apple.
  • @terminative: I finished eating the apple.

List of verb forms:

Software