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aspect

vr.tr.aspect-relation · thing-aspect-relation

Let an agent handle grammatical aspect by language, form and meaning, for learners, linguists and language technology.

Thing Registry Cross-cutting context XCT.REL
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Form Which aspect.

Identify

Verb form.

Identify

Aspect identification.

  1. Which aspect does this verb form express? definition
  2. In which language? definition

Versus tense

Distinction.

Versus tense

Aspect versus tense.

  1. Is the question about aspect or tense? boundary
  2. How do they combine here? definition
Languages Systems.

System

Aspect system.

System

Aspect system.

  1. How does this language mark aspect, according to reference grammars? provenance
  2. Are verbs paired perfective and imperfective? definition

Lexical

Aktionsart.

Lexical

Lexical aspect.

  1. Does the verb meaning itself imply duration or completion? definition
  2. How does that interact with grammatical aspect? definition
Learning Learners.

Choice

Which form.

Choice

Choosing a form.

  1. Which aspect should be used in this sentence, and why? action
  2. What changes if the other is used? definition

Examples

Contrasts.

Examples

Contrastive examples.

  1. Which minimal pairs show the difference? action
  2. Are they natural? boundary
Technology Annotation.

Annotation

Features.

Annotation

Annotation.

  1. How is aspect annotated in treebanks? provenance
  2. Which feature values are used? definition

Translation

Between languages.

Translation

Translation.

  1. How should aspect be rendered when translating? action
  2. What nuance may be lost? boundary

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Cross-cutting context
Entry kind
noun.relation
Plane
XCT
Domain
XCT.REL
Facets: substance
abstract
Facets: origin
conceptual
Facets: agency
inert
Facets: mobility
not-applicable
Facets: scale
not-applicable
Facets: affordances
observable
Other names and narrower kinds
perfective, perfective aspect, imperfective, imperfective aspect, durative, durative aspect, progressive aspect, inchoative, inchoative aspect, iterative, iterative aspect

What it is Filled

In grammar, the category that expresses how an action or state extends over time, such as its beginning, duration, completion or repetition, including perfective, imperfective, progressive, habitual and durative aspects; distinct from tense.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent handle grammatical aspect by language, form and meaning, for learners, linguists and language technology.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Internal time structure of events
  • Distinct from tense
  • Grammaticalised differently across languages
  • Central in Slavic and many other languages

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Treat aspect as tense or ignore aspect distinctions in a way that changes meaning.
  • Present one language's aspect system as universal.
  • Invent grammatical rules for languages without sources.

Only with a human decision

  • Translating legal or medical texts where aspect changes meaning.

May

  • Explain grammatical aspect in a language with examples from reliable grammars.
  • Translate aspect distinctions faithfully between languages.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Mistranslating aspect can change whether something is completed or ongoing.

Who is affected

  • Language learners
  • Translators
  • Readers of translations

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody owns the concept; speech communities shape it.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • oewn-13818991-n - registry parent class

related

  • grammatical category - category
  • tense - related category
  • inflection and auxiliaries - forms
  • temporal relation - meaning

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.aspect-relation
  • Open English WordNet: oewn-13826881-n

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

Not applicable

Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Perfective and imperfective pairs
  • Progressive forms such as is running
  • Tense locates events in time instead
  • Verb forms and auxiliaries in text and speech.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • identify aspect in verb forms
  • distinguish aspect from tense
  • compare aspect systems across languages
  • help learners choose the right form

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Confusing aspect with tense
  • Assuming one language system applies to others

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • UniMorph and Universal Dependencies feature schemes

Context of use required Filled

  • Expressing the internal temporal structure of events in language.
  • perfective aspect
  • imperfective aspect
  • progressive aspect
  • habitual aspect
  • durative and iterative aspects

Sources Filled

  1. Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-13826881-n - sense and gloss of the concept
  2. Wiktionary: aspect - word senses and usage

Open questions

  • Should aspects be separate entries?
  • How should language-specific systems be linked?
  • How should lexical aspect be distinguished?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-aspect-relation/spec.json