यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ मिशिगन
समय जाते देर नहीं लगती:   Participles and time expressions
        In Hindi past participles may be used together with expressions of elapsed time and  को of subject to locate events usually in the past:
 1.  उनकी पत्नी को मरे आज दस साल हो चुके थे;  मगर दूसरी शादी न की थी।
      'It had already been ten years since his wife died (= She died ten years ago), but he hadn't remarried.'
        (from Chapter Two of  गोदान. See context.)
As an alternative the present participle (V-ते ) may be used:
 2.  सहुआइन को जाते देर नहीं हुई कि मँगरू साह पहुँचे।
      'It wasn't much time since Sahuain left when Mangroo Shah arrived on the scene.'
        (from Chapter Seventeen of  गोदान. See context.)
But the special function of the present participles in constructions of elapsed time is to indicate a continuous interval of action:
 3.  मैं सबको पहचानती हूँ।  इस गाँव में रहते बीस साल हो गये।
      'I know everyone.  I have been living in this town for the past twenty years.'
        (from Chapter Four of  गोदान. See context.)
 4.  आज की रात इन चारों को जागते ही बीती।
      'All four of them spent the night awake.'
        (from Chapter Two of  चन्द्रकान्ता )
A past participle can also be used to indicate an interval if it expresses a posture:
 5.  गोबर को बैठे दस मिनट भी न हुए होंगे कि वह लौट आयी औरर बोली . . .
      'Gobar hadn't been sitting there even for ten minutes when she came back and said...'
        (from Chapter Twenty-seven of  गोदान. See context.)
If, however, the located action is one which is irreversible, use of the past participle indicates the interval of its non-occurrence.  Contrast (6a) with (6b):
 6a.  मुझे दिल्ली आए हुए बीस साल हो गए होंगे।
      'It must be twenty years since I came to Delhi.' (= 'I've been living in Delhi for twenty years.'
 6b.  मुझे दिल्ली देखे हुए बीस साल हो गए होंगे।
      'It must be twenty years since I saw Delhi.' (= 'I've not seen Delhi in twenty years.'
In (6a) the subject may "uncome" to Delhi - by leaving it.  In(6b), however, Delhi, once seen, cannot be "unseen".  What about example (1)?
      Reduplicated participles are sometimes found in expressions that measure time:
 7.  चालीस सात सैंतालीस साल इसी तरह रोते-धोते कट गये।
      'Seven and forty, 47 years she passed, just like this moaning and groaning, weeping and wailing...'
       (from Chapter Twenty-one of  गोदान. See context.)
 8.  जलते ही जलते सुबह तक गुज़री उसे तमाम शब
    दिल है कि शोला है कोई,  शमा है या चिराग़ है   ?
      'Till morning came the whole night was spent, burning, burning,
       Is this a heart or a flame?  A candle or a lamp?'
       (from  ग़ज़ल  in  - आग़  by  ख़्वाजा मीर दर्द.  See  context.)
But reduplicated participles are more typically used in the expression of a limit or end-point:
 9.  कोस दो कोस जाते-जाते साँझ हो जायगी।
      'By the time we cover a kos or two it will be evening.'
        (from Chapter Twelve of  गोदान. See context.)
Why should this be so?  For discussion see notes on V-ते  V-ते.
        The postposition  को is optional if the subject of the located event is inanimate.  If the participle is of a verb that expresses an activity (rather than a change of state)  को  with the subject becomes more likely.  Compare (10) with (8) and (11):
 10.   सच है,  छोटी नदी को उमड़ते देर नहीं लगती . . .
      'It doesn't take long for a small river to boil over...'
        (from Chapter Twenty of  गोदान. See context.)
11.   जनमत बदलते देर नहीं लगती।  उससे बचे रहना ही अच्छा है।
      'It doesn't take long for poular opinion to change.  It's best to steer clear of it.'
        (from Chapter Twenty-three of  गोदान. See context.)
However, if the participle has been deleted, then the  को  is obligatory:
12a.  अब हमारी शादी हुए कुल पच्चीस साल हो गए हैं।
12b.  अब हमारी शादी को कुल पच्चीस साल हो गए हैं।
11c. * अब हमारी शादी कुल पच्चीस साल हो गए हैं।
      'We have been married altogether 25 years now.'
        A full clause may be used as an alternative to the participle:
13a. मँगरू साह से आज पाँच साल हुए बैल के लिए साठ रुपए लिये थे . . .
      'Five years had passed since he had borrowed 60 rupees from Mangroo Shah to buy a bullock...'
        (from Chapter Four of  गोदान. See context.)
13b. मँगरू साह से हुए बैल के लिए साठ रुपए लिये आज पाँच साल हो गए थे . . .
If the clause containing the located action is itself fairly complex this option may be preferable:
14a. तीन-चार साल हुए,  उसका आदमी उसे छोड़कर कलकत्ते चला गया।
      'Three or four years ago her husband had left her and gone off to Calcutta.'
        (from Chapter Onee of  गोदान. See context.)
14b.  ?  उसके आदमी को उसे छोड़कर कलकत्ते ( चले )  गए तीन-चार साल हो गए थे।
        Occasionally, in colloquial speech, the two constructions may be conflated:
15.  मेरे वालिद साहब गुज़र चुके हैं जिनको सात-आठ साल हो गए हैं।
      'It's been seven or eight years since my Father passed away.'
        (from  सलीम's Monologue. See context.)
Why  जिनको ?
To exercise on use of participles in expressions of elapsed time.
To index of grammatical notes.
To index of  मल्हार.
Data developed June 2002. Drafted and posted 17 July 2002. Linked 18 July and 20-21 July 2002. Augmented 19 July 2002. Augmented again 20-21 July, 24 July 2002, and 17 Mar 2003. Checked by  कुसुम जैन 22 July 2002.