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Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect

  • Guglielmo Inglese and Silvia Luraghi
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Perfects in Indo-European Languages and Beyond
This chapter is in the book Perfects in Indo-European Languages and Beyond

Abstract

In Hittite, the meaning associated with the Proto-Indo-European perfect, i.e. to indicate a state resulting from a change-of-state event, was covered by compound verb forms consisting of the -ant- participle plus the finite forms of the verbs ḫar(k)- “have” and eš- “be”. The origin and the function of this construction have been a matter of debate. In this chapter, we review the standard description of the Hittite periphrastic perfect, and reassess its status and function based on an analysis of its occurrences in texts ranging from Old to New Hittite. We argue that periphrastic forms involving ḫar(k)-/eš- and the participle instantiate three different constructions: the stative construction and two distinct auxiliary verb constructions, i.e. the passive and the perfect. We also suggest that the stative construction was probably the most ancient, and that the perfect construction, which functions as an anterior, constitutes a later development.

Abstract

In Hittite, the meaning associated with the Proto-Indo-European perfect, i.e. to indicate a state resulting from a change-of-state event, was covered by compound verb forms consisting of the -ant- participle plus the finite forms of the verbs ḫar(k)- “have” and eš- “be”. The origin and the function of this construction have been a matter of debate. In this chapter, we review the standard description of the Hittite periphrastic perfect, and reassess its status and function based on an analysis of its occurrences in texts ranging from Old to New Hittite. We argue that periphrastic forms involving ḫar(k)-/eš- and the participle instantiate three different constructions: the stative construction and two distinct auxiliary verb constructions, i.e. the passive and the perfect. We also suggest that the stative construction was probably the most ancient, and that the perfect construction, which functions as an anterior, constitutes a later development.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors’ foreword vii
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
  7. Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
  8. Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
  9. Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
  10. Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
  11. Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
  12. Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
  13. Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
  14. Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
  15. Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
  16. Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
  17. Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
  18. Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
  19. Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
  20. Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
  21. Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
  22. Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
  23. Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
  24. Language Index 669
  25. Subject Index 675
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.352.11ing

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Editors’ foreword vii
  4. Abbreviations xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The development of the perfect within IE verbal systems 15
  7. Chapter 3. Celtic past tenses past and present 49
  8. Chapter 4. The development of the perfect in selected Middle and New Germanic languages 95
  9. Chapter 5. Perfects in Baltic and Slavic 123
  10. Chapter 6. Paradigmatisation of the perfect and resultative in Tocharian 215
  11. Chapter 7. The synthetic perfect from Indo-Iranian to Late Vedic 245
  12. Chapter 8. The perfect in Middle and New Iranian languages 279
  13. Chapter 9. The perfect in North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic 311
  14. Chapter 10. The perfect in Classical Armenian 351
  15. Chapter 11. The Hittite periphrastic perfect 377
  16. Chapter 12. The Gothic perfective constructions in contrast to West Germanic 411
  17. Chapter 13. The perfect system in Ancient Greek 435
  18. Chapter 14. The perfect in Medieval and Modern Greek 483
  19. Chapter 15. The perfect system of Old Albanian (Geg variety) 505
  20. Chapter 16. The perfect system in Latin 549
  21. Chapter 17. Calquing a quirk 591
  22. Chapter 18. The perfect in context in texts in English, Sistani Balochi and New Testament Greek 615
  23. Chapter 19. Indo-European perfects in typological perspective 635
  24. Language Index 669
  25. Subject Index 675
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