[Lexicog] Back to the Future

[Chaz Mortensen]

> Time Orientation
> 
> In a language like English the perception is that speakers face forward to the future with respect to the time line and the past is behind them.  For example, English speakers would typically say they are looking forward to future events and back to past events.... 

...Mandarin talks about the future as down and the past as up.  For example, *shang ge xingqi* (‘up week’ = last week) vs. *xia ge xingqi* (‘down week’ = next week).

***Chaz writes: in Northern Embera the system is opposite that of Mandarin. 'From now on' is literally "from here up" or "from today up". 'Before' and 'yesterday' have the element of 'down' but are compounds:

na "ahead" + ed'a "down" = naena "before" 

nu "tomorrow" + ed'a "down" = nuena "yesterday" 

Also, "in the beginning" is formed by naara "at first" plus ed'a "down". 

-Chaz 


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