Re: CHAT: translation (was: Re: CHAT: "have a nice day")

From: "Matt Pearson"

> I like this one.  Here it is in Tokana:
>
>         Ni hieloton uithat ikei palahtai?
>         QU see-NEG-PI sit-DEP dog tree-DAT
> The past indefinite specifies that the event happened at some
> time (or times) in the past.  It contrasts with the past definite,
> which specifies that the event happened at a particular single
> time in the past:
>
> Past Indef:
>         Sa ias-un upam
>         "They ate apples (at some point)"
>         "They have eaten apples before"
>
> Past def:
>         Sa ias-e upam
>         "They ate apples (then)"
>
> When negated, the past indefinite indicates that an event
> has not taken place yet (has never taken place), while
> the negated past definite indicates that an event did not
> take place when it was supposed to, but may have taken
> place at some other time:
>
>         Sa ias-oton upam
>         "They haven't eaten apples yet"
>         "They've never eaten apples"
>
>         Sa ias-otie upam
>         "They didn't eat apples (at that time)"
While I see obvious differences, there look to be cross-overs with the
Romance imperfect and perfect tenses. How does Tokana distinguish between:
"When I was five, we didn't eat apples (perhaps because they weren't
available, or they were worm-ridden and made us barf) (not once, but over an
indefinite period of time)". and
"When I was five, we hadn't eaten apples (before, and then the American GIs
gave us a basket of Granny Smiths)".
Does it distinguish? Adverbial qualifications?

Kou