X was going/about to...

[Chagen]

I just came up with this. How does your conlang deal with the different tenses here (i.e the use of a future participle in a past-tense sentence)? Does it even use tenses or participles?


(1) The old man was about to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

(2) The old man was going to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

Pazmat

(1) Rogor zjo glogibor, ta crsi, sestiges fist zmothvo, Olt dostzja.
old.man PST-be.3SGM flee-PCPL.FUT.ACT, but girl, warn-PCPL.PST.PASS around danger-PL, 3SGM.ACC stop-PST-3SGF

(2) Rogor zjo'ō glogibor, ta crsi, sestiges fist zmothvo, Olt dostzja.
old.man PST-be.3SGM-IMPERF flee-PCPL.FUT.ACT, but girl, warn-PCPL.PST.PASS around danger-PL, 3SGM.ACC stop-PST-3SGF

[Lao Kou]

The only diff between the two is an extra adverb in Géarthnuns. Past tense -- "nzhí" carries the sense of impending futurity -- and later, if you want it, "í" adds that "about to" feel:

Géarthnuns

Chö dhnaikhebs lé nzhí í rhpelköz, arkfö cha ípwans höi chü nzhöksüt uzévíçalkölön lé söböt jdogíaf.
[tʃø 'ðnajxɛbs 'le n'ʒi 'i 'Xpɛlkøz, aɾ'kfø tʃa i'pwɑ̃s høj tʃy n'ʒøksyt uzevi'ɕalkøløn 'le 'søbøt dʒdo'gjaf]
DEF old.man-NOM AUX.PAST ADV just-ADV flee, but DEF girl-NOM PTCL DEF danger-ACC warn-PRESPRF.DATPASS.PTPL-NOM AUX.PAST 3SG-ACC stop
The old man was going/about to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

[Iyionaku]

Mandarin (attempt)

I still haven't understood Mandarin relative clauses 100%, so I'm not sure if that is correct either - especially as it is combined with a passive sentence. Ieek!

老人打算逃，可是被提醒了的女孩停止他。
Lǎorén dǎsuàn táo, kěshì bèi tíxǐngle de nǚhái tíngzhǐ tā.
old_man plan flee, but PAS warn-PERF GEN girl stop 3SG.MASC
The old man was going/about to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

[Imralu]

Swahili:

(1)
Mzee alikuwa karibu kutoroka, lakini msichana, akiwa ameonywa kuhusu hatari, alimzuia.
The old man was about to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

Code: Select all

 mzee             a-li-ku-w(a)       karibu  ku-torok(a) 
 old.person(CL1)  CL1.3S-PST-EXT-be  near    INF/GER(CL15)-flee
"old man          he was             near    fleeing"

 lakini  msichana   | a-ki-w(a)         a-me-ony(a)-w(a)      ku-husu                hatari         |
 but     girl(CL1)  | CL1.3S-SITU-be    CL1.3S-PRF-warn-PASS  INF/GER(CL15)-pertain  danger(CL9/10) |
"but     girl       | (with her) being  she has been warned   about                  danger(s)"     |

 a-li-m-zui(a)  
 CL1.3S-PST-CL1.3S.OBJ-prevent
"she prevented him"

(2a)

Mzee alikuwa akitaka kutoroka, lakini msichana, akiwa ameonywa kuhusu hatari, alimzuia.
The old man was going to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

Code: Select all

 mzee             a-li-ku-w(a)       a-ki-tak(a)         ku-torok(a) 
 old.person(CL1)  CL1.3S-PST-EXT-be  CL1.3S-SITU-want    INF/GER(CL15)-flee
"old man          he was             (with him) wanting  to flee"

...

[Reyzadren]

griuskant (without the conscript)

uarki stevo shaeiz ikgouta, ut stevae ryga raes kiyaez yiskan daig rulv.
/'uarki 'stəvɔ 'ʃeiz 'ikgɔuta, ut 'stəve 'rYga 'res 'kijez 'jiskan daig 'rulv/
old-A boy almost escape-V, but girl stop-V 3SG after warn-V-PASS about danger

uarki stevo at skuya ikgouta, ut stevae ryga raes kiyaez yiskan daig rulv.
/'uarki 'stəvɔ at 'skuja 'ikgɔuta, ut 'stəve 'rYga 'res 'kijez 'jiskan daig 'rulv/
old-A boy already want-V escape-V, but girl stop-V 3SG after warn-V-PASS about danger

[Anarel]

Ikāezin

ono-ekārzunû jakīgorketôran_Nēvok_ona-Visēme Pirôrekejārativ-Xôkrom, Iltāizo-kutīltins
/ono eka:ɾzunu: xaki:goɾketo:ɾan ne:vok ona visɛ:me pɪɾo:ɾekexa:ɾatɪv kso:krom iltˈaizo kuti:ltins/
the-ART.SG.MASC old man-NOM about to-MARK.flee-3SG.IPFV.PRET.IND but-CONJ the-ART.SG.FEM young woman-NOM PASS.MARK.PAST-MARK-warn-PART dangers-GEN him-PR stop-3SG.PRET.IND
The old man about to flee was, but the girl, warned about dangers, him stopped

The other sentence is the same, but the "was going to" is expressed through the Imperfect Future of "gôrket", which is "gorketēnasurēn".

[Lao Kou]

Mandarin (attempt)

I still haven't understood Mandarin relative clauses 100%, so I'm not sure if that is correct either - especially as it is combined with a passive sentence. Ieek!

老人打算逃，可是被提醒了的女孩停止他。
Lǎorén dǎsuàn táo, kěshì bèi tíxǐngle de nǚhái tíngzhǐ tā.
old_man plan flee, but PAS warn-PERF GEN girl stop 3SG.MASC
The old man was going/about to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

This is one of those moments where saying that 被 marks the passive is very misleading, even in translationese. Also, 提醒 suggests to me "remind" or maybe "bring to one's attention". How 'bout (sloppy gloss 'cause it's late here) :

老人正要逃走/逃跑，但 收到/接到 危险警告的少女阻止了他。
old.man be.about flee, but having.received danger(ous) warning REL girl stop PRF him
The old man was going/about to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

[Lambuzhao]

Sadrås

tjœkkad der Ældtmann næghen tuo flœjgen, ob üvholte hjs þe Joungeße uhö geisöje yeße Efellte.
take<PST> DEF.M.SUB old.man<SG>NOM ADV PRP flee<INF> CNJ stop<PRET> 3SG.M.OBJ DEF.F.NOM.SG maiden.NOM.SG REL.ANIM.NOM.SG <PLUP>see<PRET> DEF.N.PL.OBJ trap<PL>OBJ
The old man was about to flee, but the girl, having seen the dangers, stopped him.

[Lambuzhao]

Rozwi


hū yōʕai zurweyeksane gukrugūθ, heslūlaok gōʕà ʕane ʕēχmamo.
from.when girl.NOM see<PLUP>3SG <NMLZ>trap<PL><NMLZ>ACC stop<PST>3SG old.man.ACC merely flee<PRS.PTCP>

Lit. From when girl had seen traps, she stopped old man just fleeing.

[Dormouse559]

Silvish

"About to" is translated using the construction manquæ de [verb], which also means "almost do something". I included another translation (in spoiler) of a similar sentence so I don't forget the construction.

(1)
Li veillart manca d'englopæ / de s'azilæ, mæ la fiille, ettan-t ettâ avvertî du-ddanjîyi, l'arretta.
[li.vɛˈʎaʁt mɑ̃ˈka dɛ̃ŋ.gləˈpɛː de.sa.ziˈlɛː | ˈmɛː ləˈfiʎ.ʎə | ɛt.tɑ̃n.tɛˈtɑː av.vɛˈtiː dyd.dɑ̃ˈʑiː.ji | laʁ.ʁɛˈta]
DEF-M.N* old_man be_about-PST.3SG of=flee-INF / of 3.REFL=flee-INF but DEF-F girl be-PRS_PTCP be-PST_PTCP-F warn-PST_PTCP-F of-DEF=PL-danger-OBL 3SG=stop-PST
The old man was about to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

Spoiler:

This sentence puts the "about to" phrase in a subordinate clause, with the verb in a form called the imperfect subjunctive. This implies that the action described was unsuccessful or didn't happen.

Sur læ pouenti c'li veillart englopas / s'azilas, la fiille, ettan-t ettâ avvertî du-ddanjîyi, l'arretta.
[sy.ʁlɛˈpwɛ̃n.ti kli.vɛˈʎaʁt ɛ̃ŋ.gləˈpas sa.ziˈlas | ləˈfiʎ.ʎə | ɛt.tɑ̃n.tɛˈtɑː av.vɛˈtiː dyd.dɑ̃ˈʑiː.ji | laʁ.ʁɛˈta]
on DEF-OBL point-OBL SBRD=DEF-M.N old_man flee-IPF_SBJV / 3SG.REFL=flee-IPF_SBJV DEF-F girl be-PRS_PTCP be-PST_PTCP-F warn-PST_PTCP-F of-DEF=PL-danger-OBL 3SG=stop-PST
Just as the old man was about to flee, the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.

"Was going to" gets a quite straightforward translation. The verb allæ, which marks future tense, is placed in the imperfect tense-aspect, meaning an ongoing action in the past. That's roughly equivalent to the English strategy.

(2)
Li veillart allè englopæ / s'azilæ, mæ la fiille, ettan-t ettâ avvertî du-ddanjîyi, l'arretta.
[li.vɛˈʎaʁt aˈle ɛ̃ŋ.gləˈpɛː sa.ziˈlɛː | ˈmɛː ləˈfiʎ.ʎə | ɛt.tɑ̃n.tɛˈtɑː av.vɛˈtiː dyd.dɑ̃ˈʑiː.ji | laʁ.ʁɛˈta]
DEF-M.N* old_man go-IPF.3SG flee-INF / 3.REFL=flee-INF but DEF-F girl be-PRS_PTCP be-PST_PTCP-F warn-PST_PTCP-F of-DEF=PL-danger-OBL 3SG=stop-PST
The old man was going to flee, but the girl, having been warned about the dangers, stopped him.


Silvish has a lot of ways to say "flee", based on your dialect, though I think I'll designate englopæ and s'azilæ as the most common variants. The former is cognate with English elope, and the latter is derived from the noun azilou (asylum).