Gilo Grammar 9

Tenses

 

9    Tenses

9.1       General Rules

Tenses are formed with the root word and the suffixes 'oz', 'ez' & 'uz' (past, present and future), incorporating 'i' for continuous, 'i' for infinitive and 'az' for conditional.

The time markers 'oz' & 'uz' can also be used as prefixes to both nouns and verbs and have the meaning 'Previous/Ex' and 'Future/Intended'.  Similarly, the time marker 'ez' can be used to mean 'presently'. (Note --- = verb).e.g.:

For verbs, the time markers form part of the Perfect/Intended tenses e.g.:

• The tense marker (which is always at the end of the word) gives the actual time of the action e.g. **oz (past), **ez (present) & **uz (future).

• The perfect/intentional marker (at the beginning of the word) gives the additional information about something that was either completed or intended at that particular time. 

Hence me uzrãnuz means that, in the future, there is an intention to do something, (I will be going to run).

          me ozrãnuz means that, in the future, something will have been done previously (I will have run).

          me uzrãnoz means that, in the past, something was intended to happen (I was going to run).

          me ozrãnoz means that, in the past, something had been done previously (I had run).

Note that the Gilo translation is much more simple than the complicated English explanation!

Note also that the basic meanings of 'o', 'e' 'u' & 'i' remain the same e.g.:

9.2       Past Tenses - Simple, Completed, Intended & Continuous

9.3       Present Tenses - Simple & Continuous

Note:  The 'it' referred to above is 'the weather'.  I.e. 'The weather rains'.  It is not possible to use 'rinez' alone since this is the imperative form and would therefore be a command to the weather 'Rain!'.

Note: that the present continuous form is often not required unless the continuity of the action needs to be made clear.

Note: This form can also be used for emphasis e.g. 'I have finished' – 'me ezfinoz'

9.4       Future Tenses - Simple, Completed, Intended & Continuous

9.5       Conditional & Hypothetical

In Gilo, if the action is possible and realistic then normal tenses are used with 'If ...'. (As in English Zero & First Conditionals).  (Gilo, Conditional Possible).  E.g. if this happens, then that will happen.

For actions which are/were not possible, not done or are just hypothetical then the conditional marker 'az' is used. (Gilo, Conditional Hypothetical).  This marker is used in the same way as the Perfect Tense markers, preceding the verb.

(See Verbs, Section 7.8)