THEORY: tense and aspect nomenclature (was Re: Verb tenses question)

Clinton Moreland-Stringham wrote:

> > Muke Tever wrote:
> >
> > > I need a name for the verb tense that denotes an action that is beginning,
> > > in the same way that the 'perfect' tense denotes an action that has finished
> > > and the 'progressive' tense denotes one that is continuing.
>
>     Inchoative.
Although I realize this is the more commonly used term, I am a little uneasy with
it. I feel like, at least as far as my English grammatical usage goes, the form
does not connote "beginning" of the action except perhaps obliquely.  To me,
"about to go" and "going to go" aspectually describe a situation in which the
action has not *yet* begun.

Does anyone else get this feeling too?

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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
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"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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