ASPECT refers to type of action:
The present
system of verbs describes continuous or repeated
action.
The aorist
system describes a single
action.
The perfect
system
describes the result
of
an action.
Thus qnv/skw (present: "I am dying"); e)/qanon(aorist: "I died"); te/qnhka(perfect: "I am dead").
ASPECT IN THE INDICATIVE:
| present system
continuing/repeated |
aorist system
single action |
perfect system
result of action |
|
| present time | present tense | --------- | perfect tense |
| past time | imperfect tense | aorist tense | pluperfect tense |
ASPECT OUTSIDE THE INDICATIVE:"Tense"
in the subjunctive,
optative,
imperative,
infinitive
and participle
reflects only aspect,
not time, except in indirect
discourse.
NOTE: The future
tense refers exclusively to time
with no reference to aspect.