Re: Some isolating verb patterns

Quoting Gary Shannon <fiziwig@...>:

> --- "Pascal A. Kramm" <pkramm@...> wrote:
>
> > On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 08:36:41 -0800, Gary Shannon
> > <fiziwig@...> wrote:
> <snip>
> > Your tense particles are too long - they should only
> > be one syllable.
> > Otherwise, they would get shortened in everyday use
> > anyway.
>
> Thanks for those observations. I like you ideas, so I
> will incorporate them into my design.  I not so sure
> about explicitly marking the present tense, however.
> It almost seems as if the present should be unmarked.
>
> On the other hand, it might be that the very earliest
> proto-languages consisted mainly of imperatives as
> language might have evolved to give commands or
> warnings to other group members, so maybe the
> imperative is the most "basic" form and should be the
> one unmarked.
Is there any pressing need not to have both the present tense and the imperative
unmarked? Apart from that freaky 3rd sg present tense ending, that's what
English does.

                                                    Andreas

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