A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

268 J Noun phrase structure

a-han-s-ajas 'entranceway'

a-han-z-dzar 'inhabited area'

The examples in (263.c) have compound finals of the shape -s-dCaC, i.e.

instrumental nominale with -s- (or assimilated -s-, -z-). The compound final

-s-awat in (263.b) is arguably based on a causative VblN #a-s-awat not

otherwise attested (cf. -vwvt- 'hit' or 'take animals to market'). Some similar

VblN's doubling as instrumental nominals are listed in §8.9. The compound

finals in (263.a) are an ordinary noun e-daegg 'place' and a variant of a VblN

(se-zabbi or ά-zabbu) for the verb 'go down; go home after the day's work'.

The use of -han- as opposed to -haen- may have originated in VblN forms

like (263.b), since the ablaut melody for multisyllabic VblN's is <H>. It may

have subsequently spread into cases like those in (263.c). There is dialectal

variation between -haen- and -han- in some of the forms.

For A-grm I also recorded a compound verb with PerfP -hsen-s-aeskasr

'(object) be placed in a stable position (so it won't tip over)'. It is possible that

this was back-formed from the corresponding VblN α-han-s-askar 'stable

position; low area where rainwater collects'. The verb here is -s-vskvr- (PerfP

-ass-askasr-) 'hold upright' or '(rainwater) collect'.

5.2.4.6 Compounds with and- 'yester-'

The morpheme and- or send- (the two cannot be clearly distinguished) occurs

in a few frozen compounds denoting a prior time unit (264).

(264) Compounds with and-

Interpreted as compounds, e.g. and Vsel (with Prefix Reduction), these

are somewhat irregular (one would expect #and "se-sael). However, they all

have a clear historical relationship to the related nouns and adverbs indicated.

The "compound initial" and- is perhaps also (irregularly) related to the

conjunction andi 'before' (with plain d).

5.2.4.7 Other frozen compounds

compound gloss related noun/adverb gloss

and-asel 'yesterday' d-sael

aend-aehad 'last night' e-hasd

and-lhaedd 'year before last' aenhad

'day'

'night'

'last year'

There are undoubtedly some frozen compounds lurking here and there in the
lexicon, especially in flora-fauna taxonomy.