How do Papuan languages use verb inflections to show completed and ongoing actions?

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Papuan languages Map of the languages found on the Doberai Peninsula of New Guinea.

In Papuan languages, verbs use inflection to indicate aspect, which specifies whether an action is ongoing or completed. This is typically achieved through the use of specific markers or affixes attached to the verb root.1

For example, in the Marind language, these distinctions are made using prefixes:
* Ongoing action: The marker epa- is used to indicate that an action is currently in progress (e.g., epa-no-kiparud, meaning "I am tying").1
* Completed action: The marker menda- is used to indicate that an action has been finished (e.g., menda-no-kiparud, meaning "I have tied").1

While these markers demonstrate how aspect is handled, verb complexity varies significantly across different Papuan language families, with many languages also utilizing affixes to mark tense, subject, and object person and number.1