A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

132 3 Phonology

c. 'sag' (-bvkvwkvw-)

Shlmpf

VblN

PerfP

Imprt bakawkaw

-abkswkaw-

a-bkawkaw

-aebkaewkaew- -bsekaewkaew-

bakswkaw

-bakawkaw-

a-bakawkaw

The dialects agree in (105.a), where the stem shape -buggu- does not lend
itself to Stem-Initial Syncope (#-bggi>). (Other dialects such as K-d have
initial as rather than s in PerfP -aebbuggse-t, but this is not at issue here.) There
is also no difference in (105.b), where the middleweight stem shape -CvCvC-
is not superheavy, and is therefore too short to allow Stem-Initial Syncope in
T-ka. In (105.a-b), both dialects show CrGemination in the perfectives and in
the inflected Shlmpf. On the other hand, in (105.c) we have a verb that does
allow Stem-Initial Syncope in T-ka, so syncope is observed in the PerfP,
inflected Shlmpf, and VblN. By contrast, In A-grm, Stem-Initial V-Insertion
is conspicuously absent from the entire set of forms in (105.c), so there is no
possibility for Stem-Initial Syncope to apply. CVGemination also fails to apply
here.
C,-Gemination does apply, however, to A-grm perfective and Shlmpf
stems of -CuCvC- verbs that are ungeminated in T-ka and other dialects
(§3.1.8.1). For example, 'be wounded' has a basic shape -CuCvC- though the
exact form is variable (the Sg Imprt appears as A-grm biwas, T-ka bawas, and
K-d and R büyas). Its PerfP with Stem-Initial V-Insertion shows
(^-Gemination in A-grm (-sbbewaes-) but not elsewhere (T-ka -aebewass-, Κ
and R -aeboyass-). Likewise, -dukvl- 'have sore feet' has PerfP -sddokael-
(A-grm) versus -aedokael- (T-ka and others). My lexicographic A-grm data are
not completely consistent on this point (the A-grm informant, a government
official working in Gao, was also fluent in "standard" Tamashek), but my
sense is that gemination is regular with these verbs in true A-grm dialect. Note
that A-grm PerfP -abbewaes- and -addokasl- show initial schwa, and therefore
do not have stem-wide melody as do the other dialects.
The causatives of T-ka and A-grm are compared in (106). Note
particularly the PerfP stems in (106.b-c).

(106) Dialectal Variation in Onsets of Causatives

T-ka A-grm

a. 'spit' (-s-utvf-)

PerfP

Imprt

Shlmpf

VblN

-sess-otaef-

s-utaf

-s-ütaf-

α-s-utaf

-ass-otasf-

s-utsf

-s-ütaf-

a-s-titaf