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Article published In:
Development of tense and aspect systems
Edited by Jadranka Gvozdanović
[Journal of Historical Linguistics 10:2] 2020
► pp. 289–324

Historical change in the Japanese tense-aspect system

 | Tohoku University
Modern Japanese has a formally very simple tense-aspect system, which at its core has only three forms that are complemented by a number of peripheral markers and constructions. The core of the tense-aspect system was much more elaborate and complex in Classical Japanese. This paper discusses the systems of Modern and Classical Japanese, and then sketches the development from the latter to the former. This development involves the grammaticalization from aspect to tense, the recruitment of lexical means and constructions to renew aspectual categories, and category climbing. Two major paths of grammaticalization can be distinguished.
Keywords: grammaticalization, tense, aspect, Japanese, resultative-perfect-past path, progressive-present-future path
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Modern Japanese tense-aspect
    • 2.1 -Te i-
    • 2.2 -Ta
    • 2.3 -(Ur)u
    • 2.4Peripheral forms, aktionsarten and lexical aspect
    • 2.5Some points of discussion
  • 3.Late Old Japanese tense-aspect
    • 3.1Overview
    • 3.2 -keri vs. -ki/si/sika
    • 3.3 -(a)m-
    • 3.4 -(ur)u
    • 3.5Forms ending on -ari vs. -t-/-n-
  • 4.Changes
    • 4.1Change within aspect: -tari (-Ta), -(ur)u
    • 4.2From aspect to tense: -t-, -tari (-Ta)
    • 4.3From tense to modality: -(a)m- (-(y)oo), -tari (-Ta)
    • 4.4Demise of forms: -t/-n-, -ki, -keri, -eri
    • 4.5Emergence of a new aspectual form: -Te i-
  • 5.Generalizations and conclusion
    • 5.1Paths of grammaticalization
    • 5.2Category climbing
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
  • Primary references
Published online: 21 August 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.18017.nar
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