A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

302 7 Verbal morphology

7.2.2.1 Perfective Positive stem (PerfP)

The PerfP is the normal positive verb form for completed events. The time
reference is therefore normally past (with respect to the here-and-now). No
other marking of past time reference is needed. The PerfP can also be used in
exhortations (prayers) with 'God' as subject.
All PerfP stems are lexically unaccented. Unless an accented directional
clitic is present, the word-form built on the PerfP stem gets the default accent.
Examples are in (308), giving the unmarked (i.e. Sg) Imperative (Imprt)
for comparison. Phonetic representations in brackets show the effects of BLC's
and/or monophthongization of homorganic diphthongs.

(308) Perfective Positive

gloss PerfP Imprt

'dance' -edlael- adlal

'kneel' -sjaen-, -j£en- ajan

'coagulate' -aqqurhass- [asq...] rürhas [ΥΟ'Γ...]

'fear' -ammuttaesas-t müttasa-t

'be folded' -annutfaes-I nütfas [no't...]

'refuse' -ünjasy- ünjay [u'nd3i]

'be joyful' -addawae-t dsewai-t

'dust off -akkaykaey- kseykasy

'be coarse' -affarsaessaen- faerssessaen

[Imprt also farsassan (A-grm, R)]

'scrape off -ajjarnsennaswas-t jaemaennaswae-t

b. 'vomit' -absa- sebs

'be separate' -abda- sebdu

'load' -sjjujja- jajj

'testify' -ajjayha- [...iha] jaeyh

'sit' -aqqima-, -aqqayma- qam, rayam

[for 'testify' and 'sit' (medial ay or i), see §7.3.2.9-10]

c. 'open' -ora- ar

'leave' -oya- seyy

[note short ae in aeyy]

'move out' -sehona- han

'marry' -ffidobasn- diiban

'drag' -sehobae-t hiiba-t

d. 'go with' -aeddew- idaw

'be new' -seynay- lynay