A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

220 4 Nominal and pronominal morphology

with χ-f to produce α in the final syllable. Examples involving a true vocalic
prefix, which happens to be accented in all cases, are given in (195).

(195) Unsuffixed Ablaut Plural of Monosyllabic Stem

singular plural gloss

a. Sg stem has full vowel, true vocalic prefix

t-a-bhaw-t t-i-bhaw

[this PI is marginal]

t-a-dhon-t t-i-dhan (A-grm)

t-a-m-jut-t t-i-mjad

t-a-s-ni-t-t t-i-s-nay

'herb sp.'

'animal fat'

'band of warriors'

'mount' (Vs-ny)

[this PI marginal]

b. Sg has full vowel (and drops stem-final vowel in plural)

t-e-mede t-l-mad 'hundred'

c. Sg has short vowel, true vocalic prefix

t-a-rhal-t t-l-rhal 'euphorbia (shrub)'

o-htss 1-htas 'Faidherbia tree'

[oncel-htas-an]

t-e-haeq-q t-i-har (A-grm) 'handful'

[Sg also t-e-heq-q (T)]

ά-mnss i-mnas 'camel'

t-a-s-dss-t t-1-s-das 'tent stake'

a-s-fol i-s-fal 'roof material'

t-a-s-hst-t t-i-s-had 'bellows (tool)'

a-s-hsr 1-s-har 'lid'

d-s-jsn 1-s-jan 'animal area'

t-assal-t t-i-ssal 'viper'

d. other C-final

a-sarik i-srak 'evil spell'

e. V-final

ά-saeko

[Sg also a-saerik, sssaerik (<Ar.)

1-sska (A-grm) 'herb sp.'

[A-grm l-CaCa usually = 1-CCa elsewhere]

The only cases where u or i instead of α characterizes the plural of a
monosylalbic stem are those also involving shift to final-syllable accent in the
plural, see (206.f-h) in (§4.1.2.24).