Cantonese aspect markers

The postverbal aspect suffixes of Cantonese (ISO yue) with the viewpoint each marks, following [MY94] and [Che07b]: the perfective -zo, the experiential -gwo, an experiential perfect, and the two imperfectives, the progressive -gan of ongoing activity and the continuous -zyu of a maintained state or posture. The association of these suffixes with the outer and inner aspect projections is the analysis of [LY26] and lives in Studies/LiuYip2026.lean; the postverbal again-suffix -faan is a presupposition trigger and is entered with the other again-elements in Fragments/Cantonese/Particles.lean.

References

• [MY94]
• [Che72]
• [Che07b]

def Cantonese.Aspect.zo : Aspect.Marker

The perfective -zo 咗.

Equations

• Cantonese.Aspect.zo = { morphs := [Morphology.Morph.suff "zo2"], script := some "咗", gloss := "PFV", viewpoint := Aspect.ViewpointType.perfective }

def Cantonese.Aspect.gwo : Aspect.Marker

The experiential -gwo 過, an experiential perfect.

Equations

• Cantonese.Aspect.gwo = { morphs := [Morphology.Morph.suff "gwo3"], script := some "過", gloss := "EXP", viewpoint := Aspect.ViewpointType.perfect }

def Cantonese.Aspect.gan : Aspect.Marker

The progressive -gan 緊, an imperfective of ongoing activity.

Equations

• Cantonese.Aspect.gan = { morphs := [Morphology.Morph.suff "gan2"], script := some "緊", gloss := "PROG", viewpoint := Aspect.ViewpointType.imperfective }

def Cantonese.Aspect.zyu : Aspect.Marker

The continuous -zyu 住, an imperfective of a maintained state or posture.

Equations

• Cantonese.Aspect.zyu = { morphs := [Morphology.Morph.suff "zyu6"], script := some "住", gloss := "CONT", viewpoint := Aspect.ViewpointType.imperfective }

def Cantonese.Aspect.markers : List Aspect.Marker

The aspect suffixes.

Equations

• Cantonese.Aspect.markers = [Cantonese.Aspect.zo, Cantonese.Aspect.gwo, Cantonese.Aspect.gan, Cantonese.Aspect.zyu]