aorist (n.) (aor, AOR)

A term used in the GRAMMATICAL description of some languages, referring to a form of the verb with distinctive past-TENSE or ASPECTUAL functions, especially expressing the lack of any particular completion, duration, or repetition. For example, in Ancient Greek, the aorist is chiefly a past tense in the INDICATIVE MOOD, but expresses aspectual meanings in other moods. In the TRADITIONAL grammar of some modern languages (e.g. Bulgarian) it is restricted to perfectivity in the past tense. The term aoristic is sometimes used in place of ‘perfective’ as part of the cross-linguistic discussion of aspect.