CONLANG Digest - 14 Sep 2001 to 15 Sep 2001 (#2001-259)

Samuel Rivier
16 years old
conlanging for 1 full year (anniversary was about last
week i think- that was marked since the moment i
became interested in linguistics)

If you guys want some good info on tense and aspect
you should read a book or two on semantic logic. It
assigns tense based on three points in time: point of
speech, point of action, and point of reference. Point
of speech is the time now, when you are speaking.
Point of action is when what you are talking about
happened in relation to when you are talking. Point of
reference is defined as a point referred to earlier in
the speech which further refines the point of action.

Point of reference is also used to define distant from
near simple past and simple future. Here the reference
point is at the same time as the point of speech for
near, and at the same time as point of action for
distant.

Anyway, the whole thing is very interesting, so try to
find a book on semantic logic. I recommend Elements of
Symbolic Logic by Hans Reichenbach, which deals with
the subject somewhat thoroughly in a single chapter,
but also devotes a lot of time to the logical study of
linguistics, as developed by Bertrand Russell.

-Samuel Rivier


__________________________________________________
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?
Donate cash, emergency relief information
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/

Reply