Tenses in Masikoro

Abstract

The purpose of this study is an attempt to provide a description of a limited topic in Masikoro grammar. Up to now a few linguists have written about this language, basically on discourse, stories, and proverbs. Very little has been written on grammar. I have never found any grammar exclusively done on Masikoro language. This linguistic project, therefore, is to describe tense in Masikoro in a way using linguistics theories I have learnt in class. Masikoro has three tenses, the Present tense, the Past tense, and the Future tense. Only these three basic tenses have each their particular form. Complex tenses like Present Perfect or Pluperfect, and Aspects such as Progressive and Completed are covered under these three basic tenses. As for meaning, these basic tenses have two main roles. First, they express time reference, and second, they express the order of occurrence of events. The role of tense masking in subordinate clauses is also discussed. Since this work is the first detailed study of this subject, I hope it will provide a foundation for those who will do further study on the Masikoro language in future. I also hope it will be a relevant tool for the Masikoro Bible translation team for understanding the overarching of the tense-system.