On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 07:10:22 +0100, Tamas Racsko <tracsko@...>
wrote:
> The "orginal" past marker was the indefinite _-a/e_ ~ definite
>_-a'/e'_ (_olvasa_ - he/she read [past], _olvasa'_ - he/she read
>[past] it), it had the same characteristics as the present-day past
>tense. [Now extinct]
Where did this "original" past marker derive from?
> Present form + particle _vala_: it's first usage was "possible
>past", then it was allocated for the translation of the Latin
>imperfect. [Now extinct]
What does the "vala" particle mean?
>> 'olvasva lesz'
>
> It's not a tense, it's a verbal construction to express both the
>perfect tense and the passive voice.
Where did the -va suffix come from? What does "lesz" mean?
- Rob