In Hindi past participles may be used together with expressions of elapsed time and kað of subject to locate events usually in the past:
1. un:ki p:tn:i kað m:rð Aaj: ds:
s:al: hað c:Økñ T:ð; m:g:r dÜs:ri S:adi n: ki T:i.
(from Chapter Two of g:aðdan:. See context.)
(from Chapter Seventeen of g:aðdan:. See context.)
3. m:òø s:b:kað p:hc:an:t:i
hÜú. Es: g:aúv: m:ðø rht:ð b:is: s:al:
hað g:y:ð.
(from Chapter Four of g:aðdan:. See context.)
(from Chapter Two of c:ndÒkant:a )
5. g:aðb:r kað b:òYð
ds: em:n:X B:i n: hØO haðøg:ð ek v:h l:aòX Aay:i
Aaòr b:aðl:i . . .
(from Chapter Twenty-seven of g:aðdan:. See context.)
6a. m:ØJ:ð edll:i AaO
hØO b:is: s:al: hað g:O haðøg:ð.
6b. m:ØJ:ð edll:i dðK:ð
hØO b:is: s:al: hað g:O haðøg:ð.
In (6a) the subject may "uncome" to Delhi - by leaving it. In(6b),
however, Delhi, once seen, cannot be "unseen". What about
example (1)?
Reduplicated participles are sometimes found in
expressions that measure time:
7. c:al:is: s:at: s:òøt:al:is:
s:al: Es:i t:rh raðt:ð-D:aðt:ð kX g:y:ð.
(from Chapter Twenty-one of g:aðdan:. See context.)
(from ^:z:l:
in - Aa^: by Qv:aj:a m:ir ddü. See context.)
9. kaðs: dað kaðs:
j:at:ð-j:at:ð s:aúJ: hað
j:ay:g:i.
(from Chapter Twelve of g:aðdan:. See context.)
(from Chapter Twenty of g:aðdan:. See context.)
(from Chapter Twenty-three of g:aðdan:. See context.)
A full clause may be used as an alternative to
the participle:
13a. m:úg:- s:ah s:ð Aaj: p:aúc:
s:al: hØO b:òl: kñ el:O s:aY ,p:O el:y:ð
T:ð . . .
(from Chapter Four of g:aðdan:. See context.)
14a. t:in:-c:ar s:al:
hØO, us:ka Aadm:i us:ð
Cað_kr kl:k¶:ð c:l:a g:y:a.
(from Chapter Onee of g:aðdan:. See context.)
15. m:ðrð v:ael:d s:ahb: g:Øz:r
c:Økñ hòø ej:n:kað s:at:-AaY s:al: hað g:O hòø.
(from s:l:im:'s Monologue. See context.)
To exercise on use of participles in
expressions of elapsed time.
To index of grammatical notes.
To index of m:lhar.
Data developed June 2002. Drafted and posted 17 July 2002. Linked 18 July
and 20-21 July 2002. Augmented 19 July 2002. Augmented again 20-21 July,
24 July 2002, and 17 Mar 2003.
Checked by kÙs:Øm: j:òn: 22
July 2002.
'It had already been ten years since his wife died (=
She died ten years ago), but he hadn't remarried.'
As an alternative the present participle (V-t:ð ) may be used:
2. s:hØAaEn: kað j:at:ð
dðr n:hiø hØI ek m:úg:- s:ah
p:hØúc:ð.
'It wasn't much time since Sahuain left when Mangroo
Shah arrived on the scene.'
But the special function of the present participles in constructions of
elapsed time is to indicate a continuous interval of action:
'I know everyone. I have been living in this
town for the past twenty years.'
4. Aaj: ki rat: En: c:araðø
kað j:ag:t:ð hi b:it:i.
'All four of them spent the night awake.'
A past participle can also be used to indicate an interval if it expresses
a posture:
'Gobar hadn't been sitting there even for ten minutes
when she came back and said...'
If, however, the located action is one which is irreversible, use of the
past participle indicates the interval of its non-occurrence.
Contrast (6a) with (6b):
'It must be twenty years since I came to Delhi.' (=
'I've been living in Delhi for twenty years.'
'It must be twenty years since I saw Delhi.' (=
'I've not seen Delhi in twenty years.'
'Seven and forty, 47 years she passed, just
like this moaning and groaning, weeping and wailing...'
8. j:l:t:ð hi j:l:t:ð s:Øb:h
t:k g:Øz:ri us:ð t:m:am: S:b:
edl: hò ek S:aðl:a hò kaðI,
S:m:a hò y:a ec:ra^: hò ?
'Till morning came the whole night was spent,
burning, burning,
Is this a heart or a flame? A candle or
a lamp?'
But reduplicated participles are more typically used in the expression of
a limit or end-point:
'By the time we cover a kos or two it will be
evening.'
Why should this be so? For discussion see notes on V-t:ð
V-t:ð.
The postposition kað is optional if the subject of the located
event is inanimate. If the participle is of a verb that expresses an
activity (rather than a change of state) kað with the subject becomes more likely.
Compare (10) with (8) and (11):
10. s:c: hò, CaðXi n:di kað um:_t:ð dðr n:hiø
l:g:t:i . . .
'It doesn't take long for a small river to boil
over...'
11. j:n:m:t: b:dl:t:ð dðr n:hiø
l:g:t:i. us:s:ð b:c:ð rhn:a hi AcCa hò.
'It doesn't take long for poular opinion to change.
It's best to steer clear of it.'
However, if the participle has been deleted, then the kað is obligatory:
12a. Ab: hm:ari S:adi hØO kÙl: p:cc:is:
s:al: hað g:O hòø.
12b. Ab: hm:ari S:adi kað kÙl: p:cc:is:
s:al: hað g:O hòø.
11c. * Ab: hm:ari S:adi kÙl: p:cc:is: s:al:
hað g:O hòø.
'We have been married altogether 25 years now.'
'Five years had passed since he had borrowed 60
rupees from Mangroo Shah to buy a bullock...'
13b. m:úg:- s:ah s:ð hØO b:òl:
kñ el:O s:aY ,p:O el:y:ð Aaj: p:aúc: s:al: hað g:O
T:ð . . .
If the clause containing the located action is itself fairly complex this
option may be preferable:
'Three or four years ago her husband had left her and
gone off to Calcutta.'
14b. ? us:kñ Aadm:i kað
us:ð Cað_kr kl:k¶:ð ( c:l:ð ) g:O
t:in:-c:ar s:al: hað g:O T:ð.
Occasionally, in colloquial speech, the two
constructions may be conflated:
'It's been seven or eight years since my Father
passed away.'
Why ej:n:kað ?