perfectplural

Perfectplural is a term used in linguistics to describe the intersection between the perfect aspect and plural number in verb morphology. It may refer to a specific inflectional paradigm where a single verb form marks both completed action (perfect aspect) and a plural subject. In languages with rich verbal inflection, the perfectplural form is typically realized by an affix or stem change that distinguishes it from singular forms in the same tense.

Realization and distribution: The exact realization varies by language. Some languages mark perfectplural with a dedicated plural-perfect suffix; others use alternative allomorphs triggered by the subject's number and person rather than tense alone.

Cross-linguistic patterns: Semitic languages tend to encode aspect and number on the verb; in such systems, the past or perfect form often shows distinct plural endings for masculine and feminine as well as plural vs. singular. In other language groups, the perfect aspect may interact with number through subject-verb agreement, producing a morphological pattern that could be described as perfectplural.

Usage and analysis: In typology and historical linguistics, the concept helps describe how languages converge or diverge in combining aspect and number in verbal inflection. In computational linguistics and language documentation, marking perfectplural can aid in annotation schemes and automatic morphology generation.