Aspect Markers in Hmar

Abstract

This paper attempts to highlight the aspect markers in Hmar. Hmar is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Hmar people. They are mainly concentrated in Churachandpur district, the southern part of Manipur. And other villages outside Manipur are also scattered over a vast area comprising of northern Mizoram, Cachar district of Assam and Chittangong hill tracts of Bangladesh. Hmar is one of the recognized tribes of Manipur. It is regarded one of the nuclei of the Central Chin sub-group of Kuki-Chin group of Tibeto-Burman family (Grierson, LSI Vol. III, part III, 1904). There are four aspect markers in Hmar. They are simple aspect, progressive aspect, perfective aspect and unrealized or non realization aspect. Simple aspect is marked by ‘zero markers’, progressive aspect is denoted by /jiŋ/ or /mek/ and /lai/. The progressive aspect markers /jiŋ/ or /mek/ can be used separately. Again, the progressive aspect marker /lai/ can be used with a progressive aspect marker either /jiŋ/ or /mek/ in progressive sentences, perfective aspect is expressed by /tak h a/ and unrealized or non realization aspect marker is denoted by /tih/ or /diŋ/.