130 3 Phonology3.4.8.2 Onsets of causative and mediopassive verbs
Causative verbs (§8.1) have some special features. The perfective stems are
fairly normal in T-ka and most other dialects. Here Stem-Initial Syncope
applies where syllabically possible. Thus PerfP -aes-n-zes-aejbaer- 'cause to
imitate each other' from -s-vn-vs-vjbvr-. For verbs of shape - vCvC-,
regardless of whether the dialect prefers aCasC- or CaeC- as unprefixed PerfP
of the underived stem, the causative PerfP is likewise consistently -£es-CaeC-
(syncopated from /-s-aCaeC-/), as in -aes-waef- 'startle'. In this respect,
causative verbs apply Stem-Initial Syncope more widely than underived stems,
which fail to syncopate -PaCaeC- perfectives (which then appear as
-aPPaCaeC- after C,-Gemination. In causative perfectives, as with underived
stems, when Stem-Initial Syncope is not possible for syllabic reasons (basic
stems beginning -s-vCC... or -s-υ...), CrGemination applies to the prefixal
sibilant, as in PerfP -ass-atilasl- 'sanction' and -aess-otasy- 'wrap (tent)'.
However, in causatives there is a divergence between perfectives and
(inflected) Shlmpf stems. The causative Shlmpf is not subject to Stem-
Initial V-Insertion (which entails the further absence of Stem-Initial
Syncope), in all dialects checked. For example, the inflected Shlmpf of 'hawk
(wares)' is -s-ataj- (e.g. 3MaSg Future ad Ί-s-ataj 'he will...', 3MaPl ad
s-ataj-ajn 'they-MaPl ...'), and that of 'wrap (tent)' is -s-ütay-, compare PerfP
-aes-tasj- and -aess-otaey- with both Stem-Initial V-Insertion and Stem-Initial
Syncope.
If the causative stem is superheavy (in particular, heavier than -s-vCvC-),
and begins in -s-vCV... (i.e. with Causative prefix -s- followed by short vowel
then intervocalic ungeminated C), then CrGemination applies to the post-
preflxal C (i.e. the initial C of the following morpheme, either the core stem or
an inner derivational prefix) rather than to the prefixal -s-. This is also the case
with the VblN.
Thus, the augment verb -s-vtvkuru- (+ -t) 'make bulge at tip of has PerfP
-aes-t£ekaras-t (with Stem-Initial Syncope), but Shlmpf -s-attakura-t (3MaPl
Future ad s-attakuru-n, cf.Sg Imprt s-attakura-t) with the post-prefixal t
geminated to tt. The VblN is likewise α-s-attakuru. More examples are given
in §3.4.8.3, below, where dialectal variation is also described.
In the causative VblN, Stem-Initial Syncope normally does not apply
between the Caus prefix -s- (or other sibilant) and the following core stem,
even in the pattern α-s-aCaC where Stem-Initial Gemination fails to apply.
Thus, for T-ka we get syncopated PerfP -ses-daew- 'arrange' but unsyncopated
VblN α-s-adaw (compare Shlmpf -s-adaw-). For dialectal variation see
§3.4.8.3, below.
There are no comparable irregularities with other derivational prefixes on
verbs. There are two such prefixes, -m- (or -n-) in mediopassive and (with
heavy stems) reciprocal function (§8.3), and -nvm- in reciprocal function, with
light and optionally with heavy stems (§8.4). Both prefixes are subject to
Stem-Initial V-Insertion in perfective and Shlmpf stems.