complex_tenses

Complex tenses

Most meanings are marked by adding a suffix to the verb. But some paradigm cells utilize periphrasis or clitics. The list of complex constructions is taken from Boyacioglu 2010.

Types of complex-tense files

In this folder, there are four types of files:

1. complex_tenses: List of complex tense constructions.
2. particles: List of particles or clitics used in complex tenses.
3. synthetic_negative: Conjugation of the synthetic-negative auxiilary which is used in negative indicatives.
4. other_auxiliaries: Brief description of other auxilaries.

Each file has both xlsx and tsv versions. The Armenian script is transliterated based on the transliteration key.

Structure of the complex-tenses list

The structure of the complex_tenses file looks like the following:

Construction	Verb shape	Auxiliary type	Auxiliary tense	Template
negative indicative present	present negative participle	Synthetic negative	synthetic-negative present	Aux Ptcp
...	...	...	...	...
simple future	subjunctive present			Fut V
...	...	...	...	...

The constructions are listed starting from the second row. The first row describes the information provided in every column:

1. Construction: The name of the construction. The name encodes its meaning.
2. Verb shape: All constructions specify a certain shape for the verb, such as a type of participle. The right shapes are shown in the paradigms folder.
3. Auxiliariy type: Some constructions use an auxiliary verb. Possible auxiliary verbs are the synthetic-negative, short auxiliary, and long auxiliary.
4. Auxiliary tense: If an auxiliary is used, then the auxiliary is usually inflected for tense and agreement.
5. Template: Order in which the verb and the other morphemes appear in the construction.

The construction can use either auxilaries or simple morphemes like particles clitics. For example, the simple future uses the Fut particle before the verb. A list of these particles is in the particles file.

Boyacioglu 2010 doesn't discuss progressive constructions. We added those.

Inflection for person

For simple verbs, Armenian has three persons (1,2,3) and distingushes singulars from plurals. Most of the complex tense constructions also mark person and number. For example, for the simple future, the verb has the subjunctive present shape. But, its actual form ranges from subjunctive present 1sg to subjunctive present 3pl.

If a construction uses an auxiliary, then the auxiliary carries all person, tense, and number marking for the construction.

• For the synthetic-negative auxiliary, its inflection is described in the synthetic_negative file.
• The other two auxiliaries are mentioned in the other_auxiliaries file, alongside their class number. Their full paradigms are in paradigms.