A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

114 3 Phonology

All of the composite patterns we have analysed here (<H L> in nominal PI

and perfective, <L H> in short imperfective) are consistent in the pattern of

association up to three syllables, but differ with respect to stems of four or

more syllables (in the two patterns that allow more than three syllables). The

situation can be summarized as (86).

(86) Summary of Melodic Association Rules

For a composite melody <XY>,...

a. associate Y to the rightmost V in the domain of the melody;

b. associate X to the leftmost V in the domain of the melody, if

there is any such unassociated V after (a);

c. spread X one further V to the right, if the relevant V remains

unassociated after (a) and (b);

d. i. for perfective verbs: spread Y to the left to any remaining

medial unassociated V's

ii. for nouns, spread X to the right to any remaining medial

unassociated V's

The formulation of (86.c-d) must be revised for K-d dialect given its
«HHHLL» instead of «HHLLL» surface melody for the pentasyllable
perfective.
For the Shlmpf pattern, there are no stems with more than three
V's, so (86.d) is moot for this pattern.

3.4.4 Local vocalic ablaut formatives (χ, χ, e, α)

Local formatives are the ablaut elements that are expressed as modifications of
specific input segments. I mentioned T-c2, i.e. gemination of the second C of
the stem, in §3.4.2, above. That is the only consonantal formative that is
realized within the stem in the course of ablaut.
The local vocalic formatives in major ablaut patterns are given in (87).

(87) Local Vocalic Ablaut Formatives

symbol category description

a. accent

χ-pcl Resit, LoImpfP

χ-pen someVblN's

arguably also:

(χ-f some ablaut Pi's

accent on 1st postconsonantal V

accent on the stem penult

accent on the stem-final)