twotense

Twotense is a term used in linguistic typology to describe a minimal tense system in which a language marks only two tenses on finite verbs. In typical descriptions, these two tenses are present and past, while future reference is handled by other means such as aspect, mood, adverbials, or periphrastic constructions rather than by a dedicated future tense.

Realization of a twotense system can vary. Some languages attach explicit tense morphology to the verb (suffixes, prefixes, or infixes). Others rely on analytic particles or auxiliary constructions to indicate time reference. In some accounts, the distinction may be primarily aspectual, with the two tenses interacting with aspect to convey temporal nuance. The result is a temporal system that is simpler in its finite marking than languages with three or more tenses.

In usage, twotense models influence how time is interpreted in both main and subordinate clauses. Tense shifting in dependent clauses, temporal adverbs, and context all play roles in disambiguating time reference when only two tenses are grammatically encoded. The concept is primarily descriptive and used to compare language families, historical stages, or creole and pidgin simplifications, where a richer tense system may be reduced to two categories.

Twotense is not a universal label or a single, standardized property of all languages. Instead, it describes a family of possible systems that reduce finite-time marking to two categories, with future time typically expressed through non-tense means. See also tense, aspect, mood, and language typology.