Abstract:

There are two temporal forms in language, namely, the reflecting time and the referential time. The reflecting time is original; it reflects the temporal scheme of a linguistic construction in a specific context. The referential time is derivative; it is extracted from the reflecting time. The reflecting time can be transformed into the referential time by means of various marked or unmarded methods. These two concepts are useful in establishing a macro-framework for the study of the category of time and relevant linguistic phenomena. They are of great linguistic significance.

Key words: the reflecting time, the referential time, the category of time, the linguistic significance