TAM Markers
| meaning | word |
|---|---|
| preterite* | ben, beyun |
| anterior | don |
| imperfective | 'er |
| habitual | fera (taam), fraam |
| present* | 're, 's |
| progressive | jue |
| prospective | a'gwaan, o'gwaan |
| conditional | 'd |
Note: the infinitive is either hev or be using ter/t',
i.e. ter hev/be, t'hev, or t'be
In modern Affrilachian, verbs without TAM markings are
generally in the present tense. However, in earlier
forms of Affrilachian, like other African American
creoles, verbs could be divided into active and stative
groups. The active group verbs were considered to be in
the past tense when they appear without other TAM
markings, whereas stative verbs were considered to be in
the present tense. This distinction has carried into poetic
and artistic contexts in modern Affrilachian. Therefore,
sometimes the present and preterite TAM markers are
omitted.
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