Tenselessness in Kapampangan: A Closer Look

This paper examines the tenseless nature of Kapampangan, a major language in the Philippines, by applying tests to identify the presence or absence of tense in its verbal system. Drawing on analyses by (Hayashi and Spreng, 2005), (Comrie 1985), and (Cihlar 2004), the study contrasts Kapampangan with Tagalog, another Philippine language often described as tenseless. Tagalog verbs exhibit aspectual distinctions—perfective, imperfective, and contemplated—rather than tense, which influences how temporal information is conveyed. Similarly, Kapampangan verbs inflect for aspect, not tense, as demonstrated through examples illustrating completed, ongoing, and future actions. The study finds that temporal markers in Kapampangan are not obligatory inflections but rather contextually inferred or introduced via adverbials. This aligns with the notion that Kapampangan, like Tagalog, lacks a dedicated tense node in its inflectional system. The findings underscore the need for further exploration into the relationship between tense, aspect, and modality in Philippine languages, suggesting potential areas for future research to enrich the understanding of temporal expressions in Kapampangan.