When Doctor Who and Grammer Collide
I am in the process of introducing my roommate to the wonderful world of nerdom. Included in this introduction is Doctor Who. We were watching The Three Doctors (cause it’s one of the earliest ones I own) and this line came up… “That’s why they’ve left it up to me and me and me.” (=Second Doctor)
We had a little laugh and then I remarked how English was really inadequate for a Time Traveler, especially one like the Doctor… We are both taking French and are just starting working on the different tenses, so I remarked on how many different tenses / strange grammer there would have to be for Time Lords to understand each other.
We started counting them off and decided that I should come up with all the ones I could and then write them down.
I'm not sure if this is formatting properly (curse you LJ!) so if it isn't I apoligise ahead of time!
There are three main parts which must be used. They are: Tense, Sub-Tense and Form
Tense + Sub-Tense + Form = Subject Of Sentence
So all this is just in order to say “I” or “You” in a way that will make sense to a Time Traveling Race! Don’t you just love how complex Time Lords are?
Tense
There are NUMBER Tenses… each one is composed of at least 14 Sub-Tenses
Tenses are a combination of Group A and Group B
Group A = “Time”
There are at least 14 Sub-Tenses for each Tense. Here are the most common ones:
Oh, and they’re Time Lords… so it can’t be as “simple” as Tense and Sub-Tense. So each Sub-Tense has three different versions, each one tied to one of the Three Forms.
The Three Forms are: Formal, Family, Informal.
Informal: Since Time Lords are so pompous, the only time it would be acceptable to use this tense would be while having sex… and they don’t really do that. So this is the tense used by rebellious youth. It’s kinda like swearing, but with grammar.
Family: Used when talking a member to your own House or someone you care for. It’s the most affectionate of the Tenses.
Formal: The only one really used all that often. Even if you hate someone, you use this form, because it’s the “polite” thing to do.
Random Notes
For Groups: use the “highest” Regeneration that is present as a number and then use the correct tense as if your talking about Someone Else.
Example: If the 2nd, 5th and 9th Doctors are together they would be use the 9th Regeneration Tense.
How Far in Past or How Far in Future: determined through a sort of “Mental Emphasis”
So although they would only say “In my past…” it would be clear that they meant X amount of years / unit of time ago.
If A Time Lord Meets Himself/Herself: when he is referring to the other Time Lord he uses the Present and then the correct Regeneration.
Examples:
Ten meets Five in Time Crash = Ten Would refer to Five using Present, 5th Regeneration, Formal.
Two meets Three in The Three Doctors =Two would refer to Three using Present, 3rd Regeneration, Informal
=> The Informal is due to Two not liking/respecting Three.
The Time Lords Give You A “New regeneration cycle”: They’d just start adding tenses together, like your “new” 2nd Regeneration’s tense would be a combination of the 13th tense and the 2nd tense… I hope that makes sense.
NOW ON TO THE TENSES
Talking About Yourself
Talking About A “Past” Self
Talking about your past.
Sub-Tenses
Talking about your present.
Sub-Tenses
Talking about your future, which you know will happen.
Example: “I have met my Fifth Form and know I will have blond hair...”
Sub-Tenses
Talking About A Possible Future Self
Talking about you’re possible future.
Example: “Perhaps this will happen in my eleventh form…”
Sub-Tenses
Talking about your participation in event which must happen, one which is a fixed Point In Time and Space. Technically a modified version of talking about the Past.
Example: Anything involving Volcano Day in Pompeii.
Sub-Tenses
General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
A Tense which combines Past, Present and Future. Used for talking about Paradoxes and events occurring inside of them. Technically this is just an application of a sort of modifier, which attaches itself to all other tenses.
Example: The Year That Never Was
Used when referring to Events occurring in the Pardox and takes the place of all other Tenses while you are inside the Paradox.
Sub-Tenses
Used when two different Time Lords get together and have a chat.
Talking About Someone’s “Present” Self
Talking about someone else’s present.
Sub-Tenses
Talking about someone else’s past.
Sub-Tenses
Talking about someone else’s future
Example: “I have met your Fifth Form and know you will have blond hair...”
Sub-Tenses
Talking about someone else’s possible future.
Example: “Perhaps this will happen in your eleventh form…”
Sub-Tenses
Talking about someone else’s participation in event which must happen, one which is a fixed Point In Time and Space. Technically a modified version of talking about the Past.
Example: Anything to do with Volcano Day in Pompeii
Sub-Tenses
A Tense which combines Past, Present and Future. Used for talking about Paradoxes and events occurring inside of them. Technically this is just an application of a sort of modifier, which attaches itself to all other tenses.
Example: The Year That Never Was
Used when referring to Events occurring in the Pardox and takes the place of all other Tenses while you are inside the Paradox.
Sub-Tenses
(From The Three Doctors) What we hear: “That’s why they’ve left it up to me and me and me.” (-The Second Doctor)
What he actually says: “That’s why they’ve left it up to me (present, 2nd regeneration, formal) and me (present, 1st regeneration, formal) and me (present, 3rd regeneration, informal).
He refers to himself and 1st Doctor in Formal because he’s being respectful of himself and his previous incarnation.
He refers to the 3rd Doctor in Informal because he doesn’t get along with 3.
Soooooo.... what do you think????
We had a little laugh and then I remarked how English was really inadequate for a Time Traveler, especially one like the Doctor… We are both taking French and are just starting working on the different tenses, so I remarked on how many different tenses / strange grammer there would have to be for Time Lords to understand each other.
We started counting them off and decided that I should come up with all the ones I could and then write them down.
I'm not sure if this is formatting properly (curse you LJ!) so if it isn't I apoligise ahead of time!
There are three main parts which must be used. They are: Tense, Sub-Tense and Form
Tense + Sub-Tense + Form = Subject Of Sentence
So all this is just in order to say “I” or “You” in a way that will make sense to a Time Traveling Race! Don’t you just love how complex Time Lords are?
Tense
There are NUMBER Tenses… each one is composed of at least 14 Sub-Tenses
Tenses are a combination of Group A and Group B
Group A = “Time”
- Past
- Present
- Future
- Possible Future
- Fixed Point In History (Example: Pompeii)
- Events Which Occurred In A Paradox (Example: The Year That Never Was)
- Your-Self
- Someone Else
- Group (Not technically a Tense)
There are at least 14 Sub-Tenses for each Tense. Here are the most common ones:
- General
- Does not refer to a specific Regeneration.
- Used only if you’re in a hurry or speaking EXTREAMLY Informally.
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Oh, and they’re Time Lords… so it can’t be as “simple” as Tense and Sub-Tense. So each Sub-Tense has three different versions, each one tied to one of the Three Forms.
The Three Forms are: Formal, Family, Informal.
Informal: Since Time Lords are so pompous, the only time it would be acceptable to use this tense would be while having sex… and they don’t really do that. So this is the tense used by rebellious youth. It’s kinda like swearing, but with grammar.
Family: Used when talking a member to your own House or someone you care for. It’s the most affectionate of the Tenses.
Formal: The only one really used all that often. Even if you hate someone, you use this form, because it’s the “polite” thing to do.
Random Notes
For Groups: use the “highest” Regeneration that is present as a number and then use the correct tense as if your talking about Someone Else.
Example: If the 2nd, 5th and 9th Doctors are together they would be use the 9th Regeneration Tense.
How Far in Past or How Far in Future: determined through a sort of “Mental Emphasis”
So although they would only say “In my past…” it would be clear that they meant X amount of years / unit of time ago.
If A Time Lord Meets Himself/Herself: when he is referring to the other Time Lord he uses the Present and then the correct Regeneration.
Examples:
Ten meets Five in Time Crash = Ten Would refer to Five using Present, 5th Regeneration, Formal.
Two meets Three in The Three Doctors =Two would refer to Three using Present, 3rd Regeneration, Informal
=> The Informal is due to Two not liking/respecting Three.
The Time Lords Give You A “New regeneration cycle”: They’d just start adding tenses together, like your “new” 2nd Regeneration’s tense would be a combination of the 13th tense and the 2nd tense… I hope that makes sense.
NOW ON TO THE TENSES
Talking About Yourself
Talking About A “Past” Self
Talking about your past.
Sub-Tenses
- General Past (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration (Not “Official” but there to be used if someone gets a new cycle of Regenerations)
Talking about your present.
Sub-Tenses
- General (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Talking about your future, which you know will happen.
Example: “I have met my Fifth Form and know I will have blond hair...”
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration (Not “Official” but there to be used if someone gets a new cycle of Regenerations)
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Talking About A Possible Future Self
Talking about you’re possible future.
Example: “Perhaps this will happen in my eleventh form…”
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration (Not “Official” but there to be used if someone gets a new cycle of Regenerations)
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Talking about your participation in event which must happen, one which is a fixed Point In Time and Space. Technically a modified version of talking about the Past.
Example: Anything involving Volcano Day in Pompeii.
Sub-Tenses
General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
A Tense which combines Past, Present and Future. Used for talking about Paradoxes and events occurring inside of them. Technically this is just an application of a sort of modifier, which attaches itself to all other tenses.
Example: The Year That Never Was
Used when referring to Events occurring in the Pardox and takes the place of all other Tenses while you are inside the Paradox.
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Used when two different Time Lords get together and have a chat.
Talking About Someone’s “Present” Self
Talking about someone else’s present.
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration (Not “Official” but there to be used if someone gets a new cycle of Regenerations)
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Talking about someone else’s past.
Sub-Tenses
- General Past (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration (Not “Official” but there to be used if someone gets a new cycle of Regenerations)
Talking about someone else’s future
Example: “I have met your Fifth Form and know you will have blond hair...”
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration (Not “Official” but there to be used if someone gets a new cycle of Regenerations)
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Talking about someone else’s possible future.
Example: “Perhaps this will happen in your eleventh form…”
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration (Not “Official” but there to be used if someone gets a new cycle of Regenerations)
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
Talking about someone else’s participation in event which must happen, one which is a fixed Point In Time and Space. Technically a modified version of talking about the Past.
Example: Anything to do with Volcano Day in Pompeii
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
A Tense which combines Past, Present and Future. Used for talking about Paradoxes and events occurring inside of them. Technically this is just an application of a sort of modifier, which attaches itself to all other tenses.
Example: The Year That Never Was
Used when referring to Events occurring in the Pardox and takes the place of all other Tenses while you are inside the Paradox.
Sub-Tenses
- General Future (No Specific Regeneration)
- 1st Regeneration
- 2nd Regeneration
- 3nd Regeneration
- 4th Regeneration
- 5th Regeneration
- 6th Regeneration
- 7th Regeneration
- 8th Regeneration
- 9th Regeneration
- 10th Regeneration
- 11th Regeneration
- 12th Regeneration
- 13th Regeneration
(From The Three Doctors) What we hear: “That’s why they’ve left it up to me and me and me.” (-The Second Doctor)
What he actually says: “That’s why they’ve left it up to me (present, 2nd regeneration, formal) and me (present, 1st regeneration, formal) and me (present, 3rd regeneration, informal).
He refers to himself and 1st Doctor in Formal because he’s being respectful of himself and his previous incarnation.
He refers to the 3rd Doctor in Informal because he doesn’t get along with 3.
Soooooo.... what do you think????