Alan,

Thank you for your comprehensive and informative response (http://groups.yahoo.com/
group/Pali/message/9547). I still (!) need to read the link at the bottom.

John: "Although the gerund "gantvaa" seems to express past tense, it really just means
that the "going" happens before the later verb, "bathing", though in actual fact both will
happen in the future."

Alan: [The] "gerund is used to express an action *preceeding* the action of the main verb
of the sentence"; the "gerund is used generally as adjunct to the logical subject of a
clause, denoting an *accompanying* or (*more often) a preceeding action* to that signified
by the verb in the clause."

Alan: "This includes the possibility of a gerund happening prior to or at the same time as a
the primary verb in the future tense so that both actions would be in the future. Though
the gerund may well occur before the action designated by the future tense, it would still
be possible for it to occur in the future (this is what I believe John is saying)."

3. Kumaariyo sakhiihi saha vaapi.m gantvaa nahaayissanti.
Florent: Having gone to the tank with their female friends, the girls will bathe.
John: The girls will go to the tank with their female friends and bathe.

From my perspective and perhaps Florent's, the elements prior to "nahaayissanti" are
clearly leading (like milestones) up to the action of the main verb "nahaayissanti". These
two actions (gantvaa and nahaayissanti) are clearly distinct: They both do not happen in
the future.

With respect.