A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

3.4 Ablaut 129

(103) Q-Gemination

In a heavy C-initial verb, after Stem-Initial V-Insertion, if

Stem-Initial Syncope has failed to apply, in the initial sequence

-vPv...- the first consonant (P) is geminated, resulting in -vPPv...-.

Exceptions: middleweight verbs of the basic shape -PuCvC-, and

most of the shape -ΡυΟυ-, with Ρ plus full vowel in an open

syllable.

Examples of the stem types that are not affected by C,-Gemination (or by
Stem-Initial Syncope) are given in (104). See §3.4.8.3, below, for A-grm,
which applies C,-Gemination more widely.

(104) Stem-Initial V-Insertion with no Q-Gemination in -CuCvC- Verbs

gloss Imprt

a. Imprt/Shlmpf with u

'be cousin' bübas

'marry' diiban

'have sore feet' dukal

Shlmpf

-abubas-

-aduban-

-adukal-

PerfP

-aebobaes-

-aedobaen-

-xdokael-

b. Imprt/Shlmpf with i

'gesture' siwaj

sawaej

-asiwaj-

-aesawaej-

c. Imprt/Shlmpf with a, perfectives with ο

'go north' jazaey -aejazsy-

d. Imprt/Shlmpf with a, perfectives with e

'be wounded' bawaes -aebawaes-

'have cuts' fadaey -sfadasy-

'flee' jawaed -aejawaed-

'be sent on errand' masael -smasael-

'be young' mawaed -semawsed-

-aesewasj-

-aejozasy-

-aebewaes-

-aefedaey-

-sejewaed-

-aemesael-

-aemewaed-

However, compare the augment verb -dübi> (+ -t) 'be able', where C,-

Gemination does in fact occur in the perfectives, and dialectally in the Shlmpf:

PerfP -ceddobas-t (all dialects), Shlmpf -adduba-t (T-ka) and dialectal variants.

The pattern in (104.d) is also found with prefixally derived Mediopassives

of the type -m-iCvC- (i.e. from underived -uCvC-) and -m-iCu- (from -u>Cu-),

as in PerfP -aem-ekaer- 'be stolen' and -£em-era- 'be open' (§8.3).