Re: Perfect & Simple Past in Romances

In the scandinavian languages, the use of composite perfect is like
in English. You can to some extend use the simple past instead of the
perfect, but the opposite sounds very strange.

The verb "ha(ve) - to have" is mostly used as auxilliary, but it is
possible to use "være - to be" for many intransitive verbs. There is
no agreement, exept in some (Norwegian) dialects.

In Finnish that is not an IE language, you find the same situation -
exept that the auxilliary is always "olla-to be". The participle
allways agrees in number with the subject.

I think that the use of a perfect tense with the verb to be and
participle agreeing with the subject is a common cultural phenomenon
of the Eurasian languages that extends far back in time. The use
of "to have" is a newer phenomenon I think.