Re: Tense naming question

James Worlton wrote:

>>>>joe@WANTAGE.COM 03/01/04 11:41AM >>>
>>>>
>>>>
>Matt Trinsic wrote:
>
>
>
>>Greetings all,
>>I have recently modified the language I am currently working on to
>>include two different past tenses. One is for actions that started in
>>the past, but are still happening. The other for actions that started in
>>the past are are no longer happening. Is there a name for these
>>different tenses, and if not, does anyone have any good suggestions
>>and/or interesting examples of naturals languages that have the same
>>distinction?
>>
>>
>
>
>Well, something that was started in the past and is still happening is a
>present.  Something that's no longer happening is a past.
>===================================
>Joe's examples are tenses, as in your question. I think what you wanted, your
>desired distinctions, would fall under _aspect_. Natlangs do this sort of
>thing. For ex. your "started in the past are [and?] are no longer happening"
>could be a perfective or an imperfective aspect, based on what you want to
>emphasize. If you want to emphasize that the thing is DONE, you could use
>perfective, if you wanted to emphasize that it went on for a long time before
>completing then imperfective would be more appropriate. I am no expert in
>this, but you should be able to find some resources.
>
>

Regarding aspect -

Imperfective:  Something, that  was/is going on at the time event X
took/takes place
Perfective: The opposite of imperfective.

That's my impression, anyway.