Subject: sum : progressive with future time reference

content - length : 6465 some time ago i posted a query concerning the possible existence of languages in which the morpheme expressing the notion of " progressive " may be used with future time reference , as in english : - i am leaving tomorrow . the coexistence of progressive and a future time adverbial is the decisive factor . i started from a very scanty piece of knowledge : besides english , i only know of icelandic ( quoted in a paper by karen ebert , that will appear in a volume on tense and aspect ) , and possibly kinyarwanda ( but i need more data concerning this language ) . as i suspected , this feature seems to be very rare . i got only two answers . the first one is from john koontz ( koontz @ alpha . bldr . nist . gov ) . since it is not particularly long , i reproduce it entirely : = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = the dhegiha branch of mississippi valley siouan all form progressives by pairing the simple verb with a positional auxiliary , and omitting the plural / proximate marker that otherwise occurs in the plural forms and the third person singular proximate . dhatha = i he ate / eats dhatha = i they ate / eat dhathe he ( obv ) ate / eats dhathe = akha he is eating dhathe = ama they are eating the usual reading of the simple form is past / aorist . there are special auxiliary and / or enclitic constructions for habitual . the future is formed with the enclitic = tte , which requires the auxiliary following it . dhathe = tta = akha he will eat dhathe = tta = ama they will eat the future without the auxiliary expresses polite requests , and there is also a form = tta = i = the ( no auxiliary ; basically the evidential of the future ) that has the reading ` shall surely ' . dhathe = tta = i = the he / they shall surely eat note also : dhatha = bi = ama they say that he ate / eats ( not the same ama , i believe ) dhatha = i = the it seems that he ate / eats john koontz = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = answering a further request of clarification , koontz kindly added the following ( the letter b presumably stands for my syrname ) : = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ) the dhegiha branch of mississippi valley siouan all form progressives by ) pairing the simple verb with a positional auxiliary , and omitting the ) plural / proximate marker that otherwise occurs in the plural forms and the ) third person singular proximate . ) ) dhatha = i he ate / eats dhatha = i they ate / eat ) dhathe he ( obv ) ate / eats ) ) dhathe = akha he is eating dhathe = ama they are eating b ) why are there two forms : akha and ama ? these auxiliaries are identical to the definite articles , and like them code the shape / posture / motion of the subject . historically there are derived from positional verbs and particles . = akha is the singular / motionless / proximate form = ama is the plural or singular / moving / proximate form other forms are used in the first and second persons , generally derived from the sitting article / auxiliary , e . g . , mi ~ khe ` i the sitting ' , ni ~ khe ` you the sitting ' . the stem is dhi ~ khe ` ( he ) the sitting ' . ) the usual reading of the simple form is past / aorist . there are special ) auxiliary and / or enclitic constructions for habitual . b ) your gloss indicates indicates present meaning , non only past / aorist b ) meaning . a present , non-progressive reading is possible in appropriate contexts . i believe such forms are essentially nomic . ) the future is formed with the enclitic = tte , which requires the auxiliary ) following it . ) ) dhathe = tta = akha he will eat dhathe = tta = ama they will eat b ) does it have progressive and future meaning , or only future ? no trace at all of progressive reading that i have detected . the forms without the auxiliary are limited to those mentioned , i . e . , the future of surity with = the appended , and the future of polite requests , used without further marking , in the second person . ) the future without the auxiliary expresses polite requests , and there is ) also a form = tta = i = the ( no auxiliary ; basically the evidential of the ) future ) that has the reading ` shall surely ' . ) ) dhathe = tta = i = the he / they shall surely eat ) ) note also : ) ) dhatha = bi = ama they say that he ate / eats ( not the same ama , i believe ) ) dhatha = i = the it seems that he ate / eats ) ) john koontz similar patterns occur in all of the dhegiha languages , i . e . , omaha - ponca , osage , kansa ( kaw ) , and quapaw . = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = the second answer is from lars anders kulbrandstad ( larsanders . kulbrandstad @ hamarlh . no ) . unfortunately , there are some misterious characters , but the content is sufficiently clear . = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = there is no fullfledged progressive construction in norwegian , but we have something that still might be of interest to you . dialects in the south-eastern part of the country have a future construction consisting of the auxilliary " bli " ( literally = 3d " get , become " = ) in the present tense + present participle of the main verb . the sentence corresponding to " i will be going to oslo tomorrow " would be " je blir draens ( = 3d " i + get / become + going " ) tel oslo i m = e5r = e5 ! " = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = i hope this may be of some interest to somebody , or maybe stimulate other people to provide further information on this matter . i am still eager to receive new input . thanks to those who responded . best , pm _ - _ _ _ - _ ( ) _ ( ) / ( ( ) ) ( - _ ( ) / _ - _ - ) \ _ _ ( _ - _ - _ ) | | | | ( _ - _ ) / _ _ _ _ pier marco bertinetto / / / / / / / - - - - - - - scuola normale superiore / / / / / / / p . za dei cavalieri 7 - - - - - - - i-56126 pisa / / / / / / / - - - - - - - tel . + + 39 / ( 0 ) 50 / 509111 / / / / / / / fax : + + 39 / ( 0 ) 50 / 563513 - - - - - - - / / / / / / / - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - nb : alternative email addresses : / bertinet @ sns . it / / bertinetto @ sns . it /
