# All Slavic languages: Historical Present



## Diaspora

Do all Slavic languages employ this feature?


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## .Jordi.

Diaspora said:


> Do all Slavic languages employ this feature?


Hello!

I always thought that it was something universal and used in all languages . But if it isn't so, then — yes, in Polish it is possible to employ praesens historicum.


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## Tagarela

Hi,

I'm sorry to ask, but could you explain me, with an example if possible, what historical present is? 

Thank you in advance!

Good bye.:


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## .Jordi.

Hi, Tagarela!

Take a look at this site, I'm sure it'll help you!

http://www.sualingua.com.br/01/01_presentehist.htm


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## sokol

Or in plain English, historical present is the use of present tense when talking about the past, which usually results in the narration sounding more vivid, more "real".

I also always thought that this use should be possible in all Slavic languages (and most Non-Slavic ones too), but let's wait for confirmation.


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## TriglavNationalPark

You can certainly use it in Slovenian:

"Septembra 1939 Nemčija *napade* Poljsko. *Začne* se druga svetovna vojna." (= "In September 1939, Germany attacks Poland. World War II begins.")


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## Azori

It's possible in Slovak, too.


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## Zokionly

And it is also used in Macedonian and Bulgarian and most likely in all other Slavic languages.Even though its common for German and French I think.


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## Fantomas.CZ

In Czech it's possible too, with some limitations.

To borrow an example:
"V září 1939 Německo napadá Polsko. Začíná druhá světová válka." (= "In September 1939, Germany attacks Poland. World War II begins.") 

If there is a given past time value, you would rather use the past tense, but otherwise the historical present is widely used in story telling etc.


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## TriglavNationalPark

Fantomas.CZ said:


> In Czech it's possible too, with some limitations.
> 
> To borrow an example:
> "V září 1939 Německo napadá Polsko. Začíná druhá světová válka." (= "In September 1939, Germany attacks Poland. World War II begins.")


 
Pardon my ignorance about Czech, but are these verbs in the imperfective aspect? (In Slovenian, *napada* [napadati] and *začenja* [začenjati] are imperfective, while *napade* [napasti] and *začne* [začeti] are perfective.)

I'm curious because Slovenian would use the perfective aspect in most, albeit not all, sentences with the historical present (certainly in the context above).


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## Fantomas.CZ

Yes, they are in imperfect, that's the only way how to use historical present. It's just the way it works...

Just think about it - in Czech a perfective aspect is used to express a single finished event, therefore it can't have a present and it has only past and future meaning.


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## TriglavNationalPark

Fantomas.CZ said:


> Yes, they are in imperfect, that's the only way how to use historical present. It's just the way it works...
> 
> Just think about it - in Czech a perfective aspect is used to express a single finished event, therefore it can't have a present and it has only past and future meaning.


 
I see. Thanks!


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## winpoj

However, we sometimes do use present forms of perfective verbs to talk about the past.

E.g.: Procházím se takhle po pláži, když tu se objeví obrovská vlna a smete celý přístav. (As I walk along the beach, a huge wave appears and wipes out the whole harbour.) "Objeví" and "smete" are perfective here.

I don't know if this qualifies as "historical present" though.


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## Fantomas.CZ

winpoj said:


> However, we sometimes do use present forms of perfective verbs to talk about the past.
> 
> E.g.: Procházím se takhle po pláži, když tu se objeví obrovská vlna a smete celý přístav. (As I walk along the beach, a huge wave appears and wipes out the whole harbour.) "Objeví" and "smete" are perfective here.
> 
> I don't know if this qualifies as "historical present" though.



That's absolutely true. And a valid example of historical present.

I just cannot imagine using an exact time value + perfect form of a verb (like "V roce 1914 začne první světová válka"). But maybe I missed something and there is a valid use also in this case.


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## Diaspora

Fantomas.CZ said:


> That's absolutely true. And a valid example of historical present.
> 
> I just cannot imagine using an exact time value + perfect form of a verb (like "V roce 1914 začne první světová válka"). But maybe I missed something and there is a valid use also in this case.


 
That's what I always found strange about Czech, in Serbo-Croatian it is natural to use a Perfective verb* in the Present though it gives a unique meaning, something like near future but not real future.

*It is important not to confuse Perfective verbs (aspect) with the Perfect tense (which is practically a past tense=Minulý čas)


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## Duya

Diaspora said:


> That's what I always found strange about Czech, in Serbo-Croatian it is natural to use a Perfective verb* in the Present though it gives a unique meaning, something like near future but not real future



That's not the way I'd put it, and I'd argue it's incorrect as stated.

In Serbo-Croatian, perfective verb in the present can appear in the following situations:


In dependent temporal or conditional clause (often interchangeable with Futur II):
_Javi mi se kada (ako) *dođeš*._
In historical present (narrative), which we're discussing:
Ja mu _*se javim*_, a on _*se iznenadi*_: "otkud ti"?
For some verbs, to describe a habit or a frequently done action:
Svako veče _*popijem* _vino.
I think I covered it all?


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## Diaspora

In historical present (narrative), which we're discussing:


Ja mu _*se javim*_, a on _*se iznenadi*_: "otkud ti"?

"se iznenadi" can also be viewed as Aorist in this case but because of the sentence construction few people would argue that.


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