tensestrict

Tensestrict is a theoretical concept in linguistic semantics that describes how a language's tense system constrains the temporal interpretation of events relative to utterance time. It frames tense as a parameter that can be more or less tightly bound to reference time, placing languages on a continuum from strict to lax in their temporal synchronization.

Core terms in tensestrict analyses include event time, reference time, and speech time. In this framework, tense morphology encodes the relative position of event time to reference time. A strict instance implies a fixed, predictable mapping between these times across contexts, while a lax instance allows more flexibility, such as shifts in reported speech or indirect discourse.

Typology and methodology within the tensestrict approach examine how often tense forms align with reference time and how readily languages permit deictic shifts. The framework can incorporate aspect and mood as interacting dimensions, yielding a multidimensional typology that accounts for cross-linguistic variation in temporal interpretation.

Applications and implications of tensestrict include informing computational models of temporal interpretation, guiding cross-linguistic comparison of tense systems, and shedding light on historical change in tense usage. By providing a formal lens for the interaction of tense with discourse context, the concept helps clarify why languages diverge in their handling of time in narrative and speech.

See also: tense, aspect, mood, temporal semantics, reported speech.