Semantic extensions of verbal aspect in Ecuadorian Siona

This thesis uses Klein’s ("Time in Language", 1994) approach to tense and aspect to analyse verbal aspect in Ecuadorian Siona, a West-Tukanoan language of north-eastern Ecuador. Siona obligatorily encodes either perfective or imperfective aspect on its dependent verbs. These aspectual forms have two functions: a temporal one and a discourse one. As for the temporal function, imperfective forms signal that a state of affairs (event, situation, state, etc.) does not yet come to an end at a reference time, whereas perfective forms signal that a state of affairs does come to an end at a reference time. The discourse function is found in the verb caye ‘to say, to ask’. Imperfective forms signal that the speech act will be followed by a reply or an addition, whereas perfective forms signal that this is not the case. As such, imperfective forms signal that a verbal exchange does not yet come to an end, whereas perfective forms signal that a verbal exchange does come to an end. This...Show moreThis thesis uses Klein’s ("Time in Language", 1994) approach to tense and aspect to analyse verbal aspect in Ecuadorian Siona, a West-Tukanoan language of north-eastern Ecuador. Siona obligatorily encodes either perfective or imperfective aspect on its dependent verbs. These aspectual forms have two functions: a temporal one and a discourse one. As for the temporal function, imperfective forms signal that a state of affairs (event, situation, state, etc.) does not yet come to an end at a reference time, whereas perfective forms signal that a state of affairs does come to an end at a reference time. The discourse function is found in the verb caye ‘to say, to ask’. Imperfective forms signal that the speech act will be followed by a reply or an addition, whereas perfective forms signal that this is not the case. As such, imperfective forms signal that a verbal exchange does not yet come to an end, whereas perfective forms signal that a verbal exchange does come to an end. This discourse function is the product of a metaphorical extension of the temporal function. This thesis concludes that Klein’s (1994) approach presents a considerable number of analytical advantages over Reichenbach’s (1947) approach and other neo-Reichenbachian approaches when we want to analyse the temporal function and understand the discourse function of Siona aspect.Show less

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Semantic extensions of verbal aspect in Ecuadorian Siona