52 Aspect markers and inchoative meaning
This feature is described more fully in
chapter 52.
Summary
In quite a few creole languages, when words (verbs or adjectives) denoting physical and psychological states such as ‘ripe’, ‘sick’, ‘fat’, ‘red’ are combined with progressive or completive aspect markers, they can take on an inchoative meaning (i.e. a sense of 'becoming'). Thus, an expression that is literally 'is being ripe' (using a progressive marker)means 'is becoming ripe', and 'finished being sick' (using a completive marker) means 'has become sick'.
Authors
Martin Haspelmath, Susanne Maria Michaelis and the APiCS ConsortiumValues
 | No inchoative meaning with aspect markers | 33 |
 | Inchoative expressed by progressive marker | 20 |
 | Inchoative expressed by completive marker | 9 |
 | Inchoative expressed by progressive and completive markers | 10 |
 | No aspect markers | 1 |
| Representation: | 73 | |
| Language | Value | Lexifier | Details | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Id | Primary text | Analyzed text | Gloss | Translation | Type | Language | Audio | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|