Verb Aspect and Tense

In Velari, verbs represent the current of a sentence. Verbs do not change for person or number. Instead, they focus on whether an action is ongoing or completed.

Verb Formula

[TENSE PARTICLE] + [VERB ROOT WITH ASPECT]

Tense is marked with a separate particle before the verb. Aspect is marked directly on the verb.

Aspect

Velari has two main verbal aspects.

• Imperfective: ongoing, habitual, incomplete, or flowing

• Perfective: completed, finished, or brought to its “river’s end”

Imperfective

The imperfective usually ends in -a.

It marks an action as ongoing, habitual, or incomplete.

Examples:

• mara = flows / is flowing

• ama = eats / is eating

• sala = rests / is resting

Perfective

The perfective usually ends in -i.

It marks an action as completed or finished.

Examples:

• mari = flowed / has flowed

• ami = ate / has eaten

• sali = rested / has rested

Tense Particles

Velari tense is marked by particles before the verb.

• No particle: present

• tau: past

• ven: future

The past particle tau points “upriver” in time. The future particle ven points “downriver” in time.

Verb Table

Example with Mara

Meanings:

• mara = flows / is flowing

• mari = flowed / has flowed

• tau mara = was flowing

• tau mari = had flowed

• ven mara = will be flowing

• ven mari = will have flowed