Perfectivas

Perfectivas is a term used in linguistic theory to denote a proposed subclass of verbal aspect that centers on the completion of an event and the persistence of its resultant state. In this view, imperfective and habitual readings are supplemented by a dedicated category that signals not only that an event ended, but that the end-state remains relevant to the discourse.

In typology, perfectivas may be expressed in a language through affixes, clitics, or periphrastic constructions. Some languages encode perfectivas morphologically on the verb, others employ auxiliary verbs or particles to mark the completed state. The distribution of perfectivas across languages is debated, with some researchers arguing that they capture a distinct semantic force, while others contend that their functions are absorbed by existing categories such as the perfective, resultatives, or irrealis completions.

Semantically, perfectivas are described as combining a boundary condition (the event’s culmination) with a resulting state that holds after the event. This makes perfectivas closely related to telicity and to constructions that foreground the realized outcome of an action. Syntactically, they may interact with tense, mood, and aspect, and can influence agreement, argument structure, or discourse timing.

History and reception: the notion of perfectivas emerged in late 20th and early 21st century functional-typological discussions as researchers sought to account for languages where a clear, discourse-relevant state follows event completion. The concept remains controversial in some circles, with critics arguing that the category overlaps substantially with established notions of perfective, resultative, or evidential meaning.

See also: aspect, perfective, resultative construction, telicity, event structure.