Four-fold
distinction is found in Apatani tense system. They are non-proximal
past, proximal past, non-proximal future and proximal future.
There is no marker to indicate the present tense found in
language like Hindi and English.
Non-proximal
Past :An action performed at a remote past in reference
to the time of speech act is said to be in non-proximal
past. Non-proximal past is indicated through ‘to/te/ne’.
When the subject is in first person and the place of action
is in the proximity of the speaker, ‘to’ is
used. If the subject is in first person and the place of
action is away from the speaker ‘te’ is used.
The place of action referred here, refer to the place of
action identified by the verb in the proposition of the
speaker.
o
bito.
‘I gave (something) (in
a place proximate to the place from where he is making
the statement)’
I give-p.t.
o
bito.
‘I gave (something) (in
a place remote to the place from where he is making
the statement)’
I give-p.t.
The
distinction of proximate Vs. remote is found only when the
subject is in first person and verb is in non-proximal past.
Otherwise, ‘ne’ is used to indicate the non-proximal past
without making any deictic distinction.
m
ayane
‘he was good’
he good-p.t.
n
bine
‘he gave’
you give-p.t.
m
lune
‘he said’
he say-p.t.
Proximal
Past :An action performed at a period of time that
is proximate to the speech act is said to be proximal past.
This is unmarked and the verb root alone is used to indicate
proximal past.
pe
m
o
bito.
ayane 
