Reichenbach meets underspecification

Abstract This paper investigates the long-term diachronic development of perfect and preterite tenses in German provides a novel analysis by supplementing Reichenbach’s (1947) classical theory tense notion underspecification. Based on newly compiled parallel corpus spanning entire documented history German, we show that question is cyclic: It starts out with only one form (preterite) compatible both current relevance narrative past readings (early) Old High and, via three intermediate stages, arrives at again (perfect) same modern Upper dialects. We propose order to capture all attested stages must allow be unspecified for R (reference time), merely being inferred pragmatically. then transitions between different can explained interplay semantics pragmatics.