Re: Question

Nik Taylor wrote:

>Barry Garcia wrote:
>> Well, in one of my conlangs, thats the only way i can describe
>> the third aspect.
>
>Well, the thing is, and I don't know if you use it the same way,
>but to me, "completive" implies the completion of an activity.
>However, -(h)e' indicates that the object is completely effected,=20
>that is, not just stabbed, but stabbed to death, or not just hit,=20
>but beaten.
>
I don't think you are using it the same way. I think what most
people have in mind when they read what you have written about it=20
is something related to the perfective aspect. That is, the verb=20
is bound and viewed from the outside - there is an inception of=20
the verb and a completion of the verb. In your case, I think what=20
you want is an aspect that _emphasizes_ that the verb has been=20
carried out to completion and the participant(s) affected by the=20
verb has been completely affected. This is called telic aspect.=20
Compare the following:

Perfective
"The brute stabbed the dudette"

Completive
"The brute finish stabbing the dudette"

Telic
"The brute stabbed the dudette to death"

All examples above expresses that the verb was carried out to
completion. In the perfective example for instance, the action=20
of stabbing is viewed upon from the outside (with an inception=20
_and_ completion). There is no mention of whether the dudette=20
died of the stabbing. In the completive example, the verb is=20
viewed with its completion only. There is no mention of whether=20
the dudette has died of the stabbing here either. But the telic
aspect emphasizes that the stabbing was not only carried out to
completion, but has also completely affected the dudette. That=20
is, in the telic example we know that the dudette died of the=20
stabbing.

To use the another word from your example ("learn"):

Perfective
"The children learned their alphabet (and may or may not forget it
later)"

Completive
"The children finishing learning their alphabet (and may or may not=20
forget it later)"

Telic
"The children learned their alphabet (and know it by heart - they
will NOT forget it)"

or

"The children know their alphabet"

Hope that helps!
-kristian- 8)