Thai lɛ́ɛw: Between Tense and Aspect

Abstract

This paper proposes that Thai lɛɛw displays both aspect and tense properties. It expresses not only the internal composition of an event (event transition: event → EVENT), but also the temporal relation between the topic time (TT) and the time of situation (T-SIT). That is to say, the temporal relation between TT and T-SIT imparts a full interpretation to the meaning of lɛɛw. The interaction between T-SIT and TT allows various possible aspectual interpretations such as inchoative, completive, perfective, and perfect. Cet article propose une nouvelle analyse du marqueur lɛɛw en thai. Nous montrons que lɛɛw possede des proprietes aspectuelles et temporelles. Ce marqueur indique a la fois la composition interne d’un evenement (une transition entre deux evenements: event → EVENT) et la relation temporelle entre le temps de l’assertion (TT) et le temps de la situation (T-SIT). Autrement dit, la relation entre le TT et le T-SIT permet d'expliquer completement le sens de lɛɛw. L’interaction entre le T-SIT et le TT s’ouvre a differentes interpretations possibles, y compris les aspects inchoatif, completif, perfectif et parfait.