Modifiers of Tense
While Indo-European languages tend to make tense distinctions in terms of before or after some reference event, Inuktitut makes a number of somewhat fuzzy distinctions depending on how far into the past or the future the event took place. In English, this distinction requires additional words to place the event in time, but in Inuktitut the tense marker itself carries much of that information.
- -laaq- - future, tomorrow or later
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- N.B.: This morpheme deletes a preceding consonant.
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uqaqlaaqtara uqaq- + -laaq- + -tara to talk later, after today 1st pers. subject 3rd pers object specific I'll talk to him some other time.
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- -niaq- - later today
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- N.B.: This morpheme nasalises a preceding consonant.
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tikimniaqtuq tikip- + -niaq- + -tuq to arrive later today 3rd pers. sg. non-specific He is arriving later.
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- -liq- - in process, right now
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- N.B.: This morpheme deletes a preceding consonant. When applied to a state verb, it emphasises that the state holds at the present moment. For action verbs, it means that the action is taking place right now, instead of having just finished.
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qangatasuu miliqtuq qangatasuu mil- + -liq- + -tuq airplane to land, to touch down right now 3rd pers. sg. non-specific The airplane is landing.
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- -rataaq- - immediate past, a moment ago, no more than a few seconds
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- N.B.: This morpheme deletes a preceding consonant.
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isumarataaqtunga isuma- + -rataaq- + -tunga to think just a moment ago 1st pers. sg. non-specific I was just thinking
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- -qqau- - just now, a few minutes ago
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- N.B.: This morpheme deletes a preceding consonant.
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tusaaqqaunngittagit tusaa- + -qqau- + -nngit- + -tagit to hear just now not 1st pers. subject 2nd pers object specific I didn't hear you just now
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- -lauq- - more remote past, yesterday or earlier, up to perhaps a year
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- N.B.: This morpheme deletes a preceding consonant.
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Iglumik niuvialauqtunga iglu + -mik niuviaq- + -lauq- + -tunga house accusative sg. to purchase recently, in the last year 1st pers. sg. non-specific I bought a house recently
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- -lauqsima- - remote past, several years or more ago
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- N.B.: This morpheme deletes a preceding consonant.
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Inuktitummik ilisailauqsimajunga inukitut + -mik ilisai- + -lauqsima- + -junga inuktitut accusative sg. to study some years ago 1st pers. sg. non-specific I studied Inuktitut some time ago.
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Read more about this topic: Inuit Grammar
Famous quotes containing the word tense:
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