Notes on the meaning of present and aorist stems in the Rig Veda

The paper examines the system of aspects and tenses in the Rig Veda, focusing particularly on the stems of the present (both imperfect and injunctive) and the aorist. A complex issue arises in defining their meanings and functions. The concept of confined versus unconfined action does not always adequately capture the present-aorist opposition, as present forms can sometimes refer to events that were completed in the past. The author introduces the category of “point of reference”, as articulated by Hans Reichenbach, to clarify this distinction. The aorist tense stands out from other tenses by emphasizing this reference point. Overall, the Vedic verb captures the stage of the evolution of the aspectual system into a temporal one: the imperfect denotes events from a distant mythological past (which may be completed), while the aorist refers to more recent events or those that precede others. In this sense, the Vedic verb shares similarities with tense forms in European languages, as described by Harald Weinrich, where a contrast is drawn between foreground tenses (French passe simple) and background tenses (French imparfait). This comparison aids in understanding the development of aspect and time categories across different world languages.