Hi -- followed a link from cellio in here. Couldn't resist commenting. I've never written time travel stories, but I am a grammar geek.
One point of interest on Russian (which I probably know best after English and Greek) is that it has perfective and imperfective verbs, and these can help convey nuances of meaning even though the number of tenses is limited. Perfective verbs connote a one-time or completed action and are generally conjugated in present and past form only; the present form also connotes intent to do something in the immediate future and so is not a purely "present" tense. Imperfective verbs are like the progressive tense in English, connoting ongoing action; they can be conjugated in present, past and future form. It gets even more fun when you take into account the fact that certain verbs -- specifically, the verbs for motion -- have three forms: perfective, imperfective and habitual. The latter refers to repeated motion.
To give an idea:
The verbs "idti" (imperfective), "poiti" (perfective) and "khodit" (habitual) all mean "to go" or "to walk". But you wouldn't use them interchangeably. You could use the first verb to say: I go, I am going, I was going, I will be going. You could then use the second to say: I will go (or I am about to go), I went. The third could be used to say: I am going (as I have done many times before), I went (more than once), I used to go, I was going (was in the habit of going), I will go (more than once), I will be going (repeatedly).
OK, I've yammered on long enough. Hope this was of some interest.
(no subject)
One point of interest on Russian (which I probably know best after English and Greek) is that it has perfective and imperfective verbs, and these can help convey nuances of meaning even though the number of tenses is limited. Perfective verbs connote a one-time or completed action and are generally conjugated in present and past form only; the present form also connotes intent to do something in the immediate future and so is not a purely "present" tense. Imperfective verbs are like the progressive tense in English, connoting ongoing action; they can be conjugated in present, past and future form. It gets even more fun when you take into account the fact that certain verbs -- specifically, the verbs for motion -- have three forms: perfective, imperfective and habitual. The latter refers to repeated motion.
To give an idea:
The verbs "idti" (imperfective), "poiti" (perfective) and "khodit" (habitual) all mean "to go" or "to walk". But you wouldn't use them interchangeably. You could use the first verb to say: I go, I am going, I was going, I will be going. You could then use the second to say: I will go (or I am about to go), I went. The third could be used to say: I am going (as I have done many times before), I went (more than once), I used to go, I was going (was in the habit of going), I will go (more than once), I will be going (repeatedly).
OK, I've yammered on long enough. Hope this was of some interest.