Re: Anti-telic?

> But can _anything_ continue indefinitely in a
> temporal universe?
Is this a relevant question?

After all, the structure of a language is not a
vehicle for metaphysical analysis. Any language can
express an infinite number of metaphysically or
logically absurd statements (colorless green
ideas...).

Furthermore, what is "indefinite" in an everyday sense
need not be the same as in the strict sense. When I
say "they're going to go on dating indefinitely", I
don't literally mean that they'll date _'til the end
of the universe_.

I could imagine that the "antitelic" would fill the
role which is, in english, filled by the adverb, well,
"indefinitely". So instead of saying "they're going to
go on dating indefinitely", you say "they date", and
inflect the verb for antitelic aspect.

/Kalle B

--- R A Brown <ray@...> skrev:

> Sai Emrys wrote:
> > I'm re-re-watching Pearson's talk, and wonder...
> there's telic, and
> > atelic... is there an anti-telic?
> >
> > This would be a verb that not just doesn't have a
> *necessary*
> > endpoint, or *can* continue indefinitely, but
> *must* continue
> > indefinitely. (Aspect would also be a bit weird
> with it.)
>
> But can _anything_ continue indefinitely in a
> temporal universe?
>
> Even the universe itself will end, according to
> some, in the the 'Big
> Crunch'; tho according to others it just goes on,
> and on, and on...   In
> which case, a verb describing an ever enduring
> universe might qualify
> for 'anti-telic'. But what else?
>
> When we come to concepts of the eternity of God, of
> the soul etc, we
> are, as I understand it, dealing with the concept of
> *timelessness*, in
> which case the telic/atelic business is irrelevant.
>
> >
> > Any natlang or conlang examples of this?
>
> Indeed. I cannot see that it is possible.
>
> > (This relates to another thing mentioned by John Q
> quoting me at the
> > talk, about having a verb tense that denotes some
> sort of cyclical
> > tense - e.g. it happened in the past and will
> happen in the future,
> > but isn't happening right now.)
>
> Sort of like Vesuvius erupting or Yellowstone Park
> blowing itself apart?
> Interesting idea - but altho natlangs show
> interesting variety in the
> way they organize tenses, I don't know any examples
> of a "once did &
> will do again" tense.
>
> --
> Ray
> ==================================
> ray@carolandray.plus.com
> http://www.carolandray.plus.com
> ==================================
> "Ein Kopf, der auf seine eigene Kosten denkt,
> wird immer Eingriffe in die Sprache thun."
> "A mind that thinks at its own expense
> will always interfere with language".
> J.G. Hamann, 1760
>

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