Let’s talk about the future: An investigation of temporal reference in Kaqchikel

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of temporal reference in the understudied language, Kaqchikel (Mayan). Building on results from recent studies of temporal reference in languages that lack overt grammatical tense by Matthewson (2006) for St’át’imcets and Tonhauser (2011) for Guaraní as well as the distantly related language Yucatec Maya by Bohnemeyer (1998), I consider both a tensed and tenseless analysis for Kaqchikel. Testing first for whether or not the obligatory aspect/mood markers on finite verbs contribute temporal reference and then testing for the possibility of covert tense, I show that Kaqchikel lacks the non-future temporal restriction present in St’át’imcets and Guaraní. Instead, I argue that Kaqchikel behaves more like Hausa as discussed in Mucha (2013), and ultimately I conclude that Kaqchikel is a tenseless language where temporal reference is determined by context and temporal adverbials.