Aspect: aspect
| Values: | Aor | Hab | Iter | Perf | PerfBkg | PerfNeg | Prog | ProgBkg | ProgLocBkg | ProgNeg |
In Hausa, aspect is a feature of auxiliaries and particles that specifies the duration and completion of processes in time.
Aor: aorist aspect
The aorist expresses semantic values of habituality, repetition, general truth and anteriority. It can also be also used in backgrounded contexts, and for the expression of a wish. It is not time referenced.
Example
- kaː matsàː mîn ìn jeː ìn saːmoː // “You forced me to go and get some.”
Perf: perfect aspect
The perfect aspect refers to a process that has been / will have been completed. In a backgrounded context, it is replaced by the backgrounded perfect aspect (PerfBkg), and by the negative perfect (PerfNeg) to express negative polarity.
Examples
- an shânyaː tà // “They dried it.”
PerfBkg: backgrounded perfect aspect
The backgrounded perfect aspect occurs in contexts where the process is subordinated to a another process, or to a focused item, e.g in a subordinate clause, a cleft or a content question.
Examples
- ìdan niz zoː > sai ìn zakà ìn ƙaːràː // “When I have arrived, I will add more.”
PerfNeg: negative perfect aspect
The negative perfect aspect replaces the perfect aspect to express negative polarity.
Examples
- bài daɗèː ba // “He did not stay long.”
Prog: progressive aspect
The progressive aspect is used to indicate ongoing processes, irrespective of time reference. In a backgrounded context, it is replaced by the backgrounded progressive aspect (ProgfBkg), and by the negative progressive (ProgfNeg) to express negative polarity.
Examples
- sunàː huːtàːwaː // // “They are resting.”
ProgBkg: backgrounded progressive aspect
The backgrounded progressive aspect (ProgfBkg) occurs in contexts where the process is subordinated to a another process, or to a focused item, e.g in a subordinate clause, a cleft or a content question.
Examples
- tôː ƙasà >+ mukà tohoːwàː // “Well, it’s on foot that we were travelling.”
ProgNeg: negative progressive aspect
The negative progressive aspect replaces the progressive aspect to express negative polarity.
Examples
- baːkà mânceːwà // “You won’t forget.”
ProgLocBkg: backgrounded locative progressive aspect
This variant appears in backgrounded predicational and locative uses of the progressive construction.
Examples
- kaː ga à yandà alʼamur̃àn nan sukè // “You see how things are.”
Hab: habitual aspect
The habitual aspect expresses a process that tends to occur frequently.
Examples
- akàn sàːmi matsalaː irìn na wânnan // “ We usually get that kind of problem.”
Iter: iterative / frequentative aspect
The iterative / frequentative aspect is combined with the progressive aspect to denote a repeated action.
Examples
- munàː ta kaucè hanyàː // “ We kept straying from the path.”
Aspect in other languages: [arr] [bej] [bg] [bm] [bor] [cs] [el] [eme] [ga] [gn] [gub] [ha] [hu] [hy] [hyw] [jaa] [ka] [ky] [la] [mdf] [myu] [myv] [nci] [pcm] [qpm] [ru] [say] [sl] [tpn] [tr] [tt] [u] [uk] [urb] [urj] [yrl]