Universal #1393

Legacy number: 1393

 Number  1389
 Original  Retrospective languages tend toward finer temporal gradation in the past than in the future and prospective languages tend toward no or equal gradation of past and future tenses.
 Standardized  Retrospective languages tend toward finer temporal gradation in the past than in the future and prospective languages tend toward no or equal gradation of past and future tenses.
 Keywords  tense, past, future
 Domain  inflection, syntax
 Type  no genuine implication; rather: provided that
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  sample of 50 languages in Ultan 1972, Ultan 1978a
 Source  Ultan 1972, Ultan 1978a: 93

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Discussion
Counterexamples
For the first part: Chukchi (Chukchi-Kamchatkan), Tonkawa (Coahuiltecan) (Ultan 1978: 92)
Notes
If a present tense may ordinarily mark a Moment of speech (MOS) future or if the latter may be unmarked, the system is prospective.If a present tense may ordinarily mark a MOS past or if the latter may be unmarked, the system is retrospective.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
If a present tense may ordinarily mark a Moment of speech (MOS) future or if the latter may be unmarked, the system is PROSPECTIVE. If a present tense may ordinarily mark a MOS past or if the latter may be unmarked, the system is RETROSPECTIVE.