The perfective aspect in Afaan Oromoo

Abstract

The perfective aspect in linguistic terms signifies the completion of an action or event, presenting it as a single, undivided unit without delving into its internal components, contrasting with the imperfective aspect that focuses on actions/events with internal structure. This study explores the linguistic complexities of the perfective aspect in Afaan Oromoo, examining its morphological, syntactic and semantic features. Data from web corpus and fieldwork, including elicitation and group discussions with 16 native speakers of the Western/Macha variety, were systematically analysed to identify categories and usage patterns of the perfective aspect. The study uncovered specific markers and structures associated with expressing completed or single-time actions, with preterite and perfect emerging as the primary categories in the language. Preterite, marked by -e and -i, conveys bounded or whole events occurring in the past, while the perfect aspect extends to sequences of completed events, with auxiliaries like tur- ‘was’ and ʤir- ‘exist’ playing crucial roles in its structure. The study also explores how the perfective aspect interacts with other grammatical features (past tense and mood), shedding light on the complex linguistic features of Afaan Oromoo and contributing to our understanding of the perfective aspect in this language and its implications for broader language families like Afroasiatic.