A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

188 4 Nominal and pronominal morphology

t-e-läelli-t-t t-i-lsella-t-en

[PI also t-i-lselli-t-en]

t-e-mäenni-t-t t-i-m£enna-t-en

t-ezzi-t-t t-ezza-t-en

t-e-m-aes-aessskni-t-t t-i-m-aes-aessaekna-t-en

t-ä-wse-t-t t-l-wsa-t-en

'noble woman'

'carp (fish)'

'fly (insect)' (Vs)

'braiding woman'

'ethnic group'

4.1.2.12 Stem-Final V-Lengthening in plural verbal nouns

Verbal nouns of prefixally derived (e.g. causative) verbs, and of heavy
underived verbs, involve a vocalic prefix (Sg α-, PI i-), and melody
throughout the stem (§8.6). Of interest here is the fact that the corresponding
plural, though basically suffixal, also involves lengthening of a schwa in the
final syllable to i. Some examples are in (164).

V-Lengthening in Final Syllable (mostly Plural Verbal Noun)

singular plural gloss

a. underived VblN with a- prefix

a-blwss i-blwis-asn 'wound'

a-slwaj i-siwij-aen 'gesturing'

a-dsrdar i-dsrdir-aen 'being insistent'

a-karraw i-karriw-asn 'drinking again'

a-mavrss i-marris-aen (T-ka) 'feeling bad'

[also i-marras]

a-lawlsw i-lawliw-aen 'towering'

a-sksdkad ι I i-skadkid-aen ι I 'trembling'

b. mediopassive VblN

a-n-ilas i-n-llis-asn 'being repeated'

a-n-imss i-n-lmis-aen 'being tested'

c. reciprocal VblN

a-nm-ihaz i-nm-lhiz-aen 'approach each other'

d. causative VblN

a-s-sdsw

a-s-atsj

a-s-aswsd

a-s-lrad

a-s-insar

a-s-allswlaw

a-s-sddsrhsn

s-sdiw-aen (T-ka)

s-stij-aen

s-aswid-aen (A-grm)

s-lrid-aen

s-lnsir-aen

s-sllswliw-asn

i-s-addarhin-aen

organizing

'street-selling'

'duping'

'washing'

'blowing nose'

'raving'

'desiring'