tense friends
Some time ago we were going around the room at a gathering giving toasts, and G gave his standard "to absent friends" and I followed with "to present friends", which led to "to friends, past present and future".
This works in an Indo-European style system of tenses, but after further thought I decided that I prefer a Semitic style system for this toast: "to perfect and imperfect friends", especially with the realization that the imperfect friends are the ones that are still in my life.
When I mentioned this to batyatoon earlier today, she suggested "to friends: past, present and future, perfect and imperfect" as a version that doesn't require the grammar knowledge but adds another layer with it.
This works in an Indo-European style system of tenses, but after further thought I decided that I prefer a Semitic style system for this toast: "to perfect and imperfect friends", especially with the realization that the imperfect friends are the ones that are still in my life.
When I mentioned this to batyatoon earlier today, she suggested "to friends: past, present and future, perfect and imperfect" as a version that doesn't require the grammar knowledge but adds another layer with it.