Frontmatter -- Introduction -- Part I The concepts of TENSE, ASPECT, and MOOD (ΤΑΜ) -- 1 Markedness and meaning -- 2 Events and presentation of events in language -- 3 Some possible conceptualisations of events -- 4 Prototypes of ASPECT and FRAMING -- 5 Convergence: pragmatic functions of ΤΑΜ concepts -- 6 Interrelation and interaction: towards a delimitation of ΤΑΜ concepts -- Part II The Tibetan system of RELATIVE TENSE and aspectual values -- 1 General features of Tibetan languages -- 2 The Tibetan "verb" -- 3 Old and Classical Tibetan -- 4 Modern Tibetan - "Lhasa" dialect -- 5 East Tibetan: Amdo and Kham -- Part III West Tibetan (Ladakhi, Purik, Balti) -- 1 General features -- 2 The verb -- 3 The main temporal constructions -- 4 Narrative and other conventions -- 5 Conclusion: the set of oppositions in West Tibetan -- Part IV A comparative view -- 1 Some suggestions concerning the development of the verb stems -- 2 The development of the Modern Tibetan languages -- 3 Final conclusion -- Authors' index (thematic) -- References