Datapoint Berbice Dutch/Tense-aspect systems

Preverbal wa marks a simple past tense under discourse conditions which are not completely understood. Suffixes -tε and -arε/-a mark perfective and imperfective, respectively. These may be combined with wa.

Values

Mixed aspectual-temporal system

Example 28-88:
o wa riʃa
o
3sg
wa
pst
riʃi-a
swell-ipfv
He was swelling.

Source: Kouwenberg 2007: 29

Example 28-90:
endi wa plantɛ bom, bat di kujap seito
eni
3pl
di
dem
wa
pst
plandi-tɛ
plant-pfv
bom,
tree
bat
but
di
the
kui-apu
cow-pl
sei-tɛ
damage-pfv
o
3sg
They had planted trees, but the cows destroyed it.

Source: Kouwenberg 2007: 27

Confidence:
Very certain