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Traditional theory about the origin of the Latin imperfect
- Source :
- Linguistica, Vol 43, Iss 1 (2003)
- Publication Year :
- 2003
- Publisher :
- University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani), 2003.
-
Abstract
- The imperfect tense expresses a continuous past action which is unfinished, as the name itself indicates - im-perfectum. This characteristic accounts for its three uses: a) pure, durative imperfect b) iterative imperfect and c) imperfect de conatu. These uses are best preserved in Greek but were also used in Latin, where the forms of the old imperfect disappeared. In Proto-Germanic, the IE imperfect, the aorist and the perfect continue partly in the old perfect and partly in its counterpart, the preterite, while, in Proto-Slavonic, the old imperfect for non­ momentary actions was replaced by forms ending in *-ahb.lIn Italic languages, the functions of the IE imperfect passed on into the compounds with *bh7Jam.
- Subjects :
- Latin
imperfect
Philology. Linguistics
P1-1091
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- German, English, French, Italian, Slovenian
- ISSN :
- 00243922 and 2350420X
- Volume :
- 43
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Linguistica
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.59f18135f6114749bedec867423e2bfd
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.4312/linguistica.43.1.13-24