Augment (was Re: German ge- ptcpl cognates?)

[Ross Clark]

It is also a feature of Bickerton's prototypical Creole verb system: an
unmarked non-stative verb is interpreted as past; to make a present you add
the non-punctual aspect marker. Of course the extent to which this is realized
in actual languages remains debatable.

Ross Clark

>>> "petegray" <petegray at btinternet.com> 02/06 12:04 AM >>>
>. According to Bybee et
> >al (The evolution of grammar), unmarked past vs marked present is
> >unknown in extant languages.

This must surely be wrong - or at least disputable!   Classical Hebrew has
an unmarked tense-form whose natural and commonest tense meaning is the
past.   I believe Arabic, both classical and modern, has a similar
structure.

Peter