Anterioriteit

Anterioriteit, or anteriority, is a concept used in philosophy, linguistics, and temporal semantics to describe the relation of an event, proposition, or state to a reference point in time. The word derives from Latin ante- meaning before, combined with the Dutch suffix -iteit to indicate a property. In general, something with anterioriteit occurs earlier than the reference time or another event.

In philosophy and semantics, anterioriteit formalizes how events relate to a temporal reference such as the speech time or a surrounding time frame. It is contrasted with posterioriteit (posteriority) and with simultaneity. An event that happened before the reference point has anterioriteit relative to that point; an event after it has posterioriteit. Temporal theories differ on whether time itself is dynamic (A-theory) or static (B-theory), but anterioriteit is a practical relation used in truth conditions and reasoning.

In linguistics, anterioriteit is encoded by tense and aspect that signal earlier occurrence relative to another time. The English pluperfect “had eaten” marks anterioriteit to a past reference point: "I had eaten before you arrived." The present perfect "have eaten" marks anterioriteit to the present. Other languages use morphology, auxiliary constructions, or dedicated moods to express future anteriority or past anteriority. These forms help with narrative sequence and causal interpretation.

Cross-linguistic variation shows that anterioriteit is not always overtly marked; speakers rely on context and discourse cues. The notion is useful in linguistic description, temporal logic, and narrative analysis.

See also: Posteriority; Tense; Aspect; Temporal semantics.