What is not-yet tense?

Definition
	Not-yet tense is an absolute tense that refers to times at and before the moment of utterance in asserting the present and past nonoccurrence of an event or state. It tends to imply that the event or state is expected to occur in the future.
	This tense corresponds to the meaning of the English not yet.

Example (Luganda)

Here is an example of not-yet tense:

te- tu- nna- genda

NEG- we- NOT.YET- go

‘We have not yet gone.’

Source:

Comrie 1985b 54

Source
	Comrie 1985b 54–55

Concept module: not-yet tense
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): N
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004