[B-Greek] Questions about NT verbal aspect
James Tauber
jtauber at jtauber.com
Thu Jan 18 12:38:29 EST 2007
Incidentally, there is a good thread from back in 1997 that touches
on some of the confusion:
http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/test-archives/html4/1997-04/18803.html
Bottom line is that grammarians like ATR *don't* use Aktionsart to
mean just lexical aspect. Perhaps that's what you were alluding to,
Jonathan.
One thing is clear. There is a useful three-way distinction one can
make in general:
1. lexical aspect
2. grammatical aspect
3. tense
"Aktionsart", when used in modern linguistics, always means 1 in my
experience.
James
On 18/01/2007, at 12:29 PM, James Tauber wrote:
>
> On 18/01/2007, at 11:58 AM, Jonathan Robie wrote:
>> [...]
>> Whether you prefer to say "kind of action", Aktionsart, or aspect,
>> you
>> also have to figure out the relationship between time and aspect, and
>> how these relate to the forms a verb can take.
>
>
> Good post, Jonathan.
>
> Just one point: Aktionsart isn't quite the same as aspect. When one
> talks about the aspect of different forms of a verb, they are talking
> about *grammatical aspect*. Aktionsart, on the other hand, is
> *lexical aspect*; in other words, the time structure inherent to the
> lexeme, regardless of form.
>
> When you contrast:
>
> (1) I walked to the store.
> (2) I was walking to the store.
>
> you are contrasting grammatical aspect (perfective versus
> imperfective) in one lexeme.
>
> On the other hand, Aktionsart (i.e. lexical aspect) makes contrasts
> between lexemes: e.g. achievements versus accomplishments versus
> activities.
>
>
> James Tauber
>
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