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Date:         Sun, 1 Aug 1993 22:03:42 EDT
Reply-To: Logical Language Group <lojbab@GREBYN.COM>
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From: Logical Language Group <lojbab@GREBYN.COM>
Subject:      Re: On the tense system
X-To:         jorge@PHYAST.PITT.EDU
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To: Erik Rauch <erikr@MINERVA.CIS.YALE.EDU>
Status: RO
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Message-ID: <tzKaJqKiCCG.A.QWH.Oy0kLB@chain.digitalkingdom.org>

The simple explanation of the ZAhO tenses is to look at a non-instantaneous
event.  ba'o is the time after the event, pu'o is the time before the
event.  All of the other ZAhO tenses are similarly tied to an interval
of the even actually occurring, which I picture like this

pu'o     -> |   <----   ca'o    ---> | <-- ba'o
            |                        |

The metaphor of the pictured event far predated the Imaginary Journeys
metaphor, and led tot he assignments of cmavo.  pu'o like pu refers to
the time before the event, ba'o like ba refers to the time after the event.
Unfortunately in actual usage people don't seem to be referring to events
when they use the contours, and the result is that the tags seem backwards.

lojbab