Editing Sumerian language (section)

==== Use of the tense-aspect forms ====
Jagersma systematizes the use of the tense-aspect forms in the following patterns:<ref>Jagersma (2010: 372-380)</ref>
* ''ḫamṭu'' is used to express completed ([[perfective aspect|perfective]]) actions in the past, but also states (past ''or'' present) and timeless truths.<ref>Cf. also Thomsen (2001: 120-121), Zólyomi (2017: 123).</ref> It is also used in conditional clauses with the conjunction 𒋗𒃻𒌉𒇲𒁉 ''tukumbi'' 'if'.
* ''marû'' is used to express actions in the present and future, but also non-completed ([[imperfective aspect|imperfective]]) actions in the past (like the English [[past progressive tense]]), and, rarely, actions in the past that are still relevant or operative (like the English [[present perfect tense]]). It is also used in conditional clauses with the conjunction 𒌓𒁕 ''ud-da'' 'if'. [[Verbum dicendi|Verba dicendi]] introducing direct speech are also placed in ''marû''.

In addition, different moods often require either a ''ḫamṭu'' or a ''marû'' stem and either a ''ḫamṭu'' or a ''marû'' agreement pattern depending on various conditions, as specified in the relevant sections [[#Modal prefixes|above]] and [[#Imperative|below]].

In more general terms, modern scholars usually state that the difference between the two forms is primarily one of [[grammatical aspect|aspect]]: ''ḫamṭu'' expresses [[perfective aspect]], i.e. a completed action, or sometimes possibly [[Lexical aspect#Comrie's classification|punctual aspect]], whereas ''marû'' expresses [[imperfective aspect]], i.e. a non-completed action, or sometimes possibly [[durative aspect]].<ref>Thomsen (2001: 118-123), Sallaberger (2023: 88, 101), Attinger (1993: 186-187)</ref> In contrast, the ''time'' at which the action takes place or at which it is completed or non-completed is not specified and may be either past, present or future.<ref>Foxvog (2016: 61-62)</ref> This contrasts with the earlier view, prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, according to which the difference was one of [[grammatical tense|tense]]: ''ḫamṭu'' was thought to express the [[past tense|past (preterite) tense]], and ''marû'' was considered to express [[present tense|present-]][[future tense]], while the use of ''marû'' with past-tense reference was viewed as a stylistic device (cf. the so-called [[historical present]] use in other languages).<ref>Thomsen (2001: 118-120) and Jagersma (2010: 372-373), both citing Poebel and Falkenstein.</ref> Indeed, it has been pointed out that a translation of ''ḫamṭu'' with past tense and ''marû'' with present or future tense does work well most of the time;<ref>Jagersma (2010: 372), Sallaberger (2023: 88, 101), Attinger (1993: 186-187)</ref> this may correspond to the cases in which the action was viewed by Sumerian speakers as completed or non-completed ''with respect to the present moment''.<ref>Sallaberger (2023: 101)</ref>{{efn|In fact, Zólyomi (2017: 123-124) retains the terminology of tense, preterite for ''ḫamṭu'' and present-future for ''marû'', but describes them as expressing anterior actions (''ḫamṭu'') vs simultaneous or posterior actions (''marû'') ''relative to a reference point'' which is not necessarily the present and is not specified by the verb form itself.}}