Biblical Hebrew Forum

[<tladatsi AT charter.net>]

Vadim,

You incorrect on one point.  There is at least one language 
which has verb inflection but no tense.  Tagalog, an 
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language, has verbs that 
inflected (both prefixes and infixes) but only for aspect, 
not tense.

Taking verb root ? aral ? which means ? study ? you can add 
a prefix mag to make the infinitive ? mag-aral.  The verb 
can be then conjugated in the active voice (or Subject 
Focus as is sometimes called) to nag-aral, nag-a-aral, and 
nag-a-aral, indicating respectively ? having studied 
(Perfect - action completed), studying (Imperfect - action 
in process), and intending to study (Contemplated - 
intended action).   There  is a different put parallel four 
part conjugation in the passive voice (or Object Focus)-  
pi-nag-aral-an, pi - nag-a ? aral-an, and pag-aaral.  You 
can think of Tagalog as having two stems.  

I have been lead to believe that other, if not all, of the 
Austronesian languages are inflected in terms of aspect but 
not tense but certainly Tagalog is.


Jack Tladatsi