Dimensions of Aspect

(Ahmed bin Fathallah Tarouty)

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Abstract

The extensive literature on aspect reveals that aspect is a very controversial category in linguistics. If one tries to identify the problems associated with the traditional conception of aspect, he or she soon realizes that they relate to its scope, signification, value, and function. These dimensions cover the problems found in the formal and notional analyses of aspect. That is, the semantic characterizations of aspect remain vague and imprecise, and its locus and means of marking are yet to be agreed upon. This paper explores these problems in order to establish a new point of orientation for the treatment of aspect. Specifically, it presents a new formulation of aspect that explains the interaction of aspect and tense and provides a sense of understanding of 1) how the so-called aspect languages mark time reference grammatically, and 2) the temporal and discourse functions of aspect.
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