jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
7.2 Stem categories 305
7.2.2.2 Resultative stem (Resit)
The Resultative, often referred to in Tuareg and Berber studies as the
"intensive perfective" (="l'intensif de l'accompli"), denotes a state resulting
from the event or transition denoted by the corresponding PerfP. For many
verbs this is the common equivalent of the English present tense, especially for
adjectives and other statives (Ί am sitting', 'she is sick', 'they know', 'it is
red'). In spite of these present-tense translations, the Tamashek forms are
correctly taken as resultatives presupposing a prior event or the beginning of a
state. Past time reference for the resulting state ('he knew', Ί was sitting') can
be specified by preposing the Past preverbal particle kaela.
In simple (unsubordinated) positive utterances, the defective verbs -vllu-
'be, exist', -vli> 'have, own, possess', and locational -vhu- 'be (somewhere)',
occur almost exclusively in the Resit, hence -slid-, -1ά-, -ha- (§7.3.2.11-13).
The PerfP is rare, and apparently grammatical only in subordinated finite
clauses. The PerfN, which is homophonous with the PerfP for these verbs,
occurs after Neg waer.
Some other statives like 'be' occur much more often in Resit form
(-aemos-) than in PerfP form (-aemos-) in positive sentences, though the latter
forms are attested. Likewise with verbs of adjectival meaning, which regularly
appear in the Resit for stative sense ('be red', 'be big'), whereas the PerfP
forms are inchoative in sense ('become red', etc.).
The Resit stem is based on the PerfP, including the latter's vocalic melody,
but it has additional ablaut formatives. For most verbs (excluding some
statives), the effect of these formatives is to lengthen and accent the V
following the first C(C) of the stem. If the relevant V is already full, the
lengthening is vacuous. The targeted "first postconsonantal V" is, for most
verb classes, definable with respect to the syllabic shape of the Imprt, since the
Imprt does not show the effects (notably Stem-Initial Syncope) found in the
perfective stems and often in the Shlmpf. The relevant ablaut formatives for
the Resit can be represented as χ-pcl and χ-pcl, where "pel" specifies that
these formatives are associated with the first postconsonantal V of the stem.
For most adjectival verbs, regardless of stem shape, the lengthening
formative fails to apply (even where it would be audible), but the accent
formative does apply.
Consider (nonadjectival) -vjrvw- 'get', Imprt ajraw and PerfP -ajraew-.
The V targeted by the Resit ablaut formatives is the second stem V, since this
is the first postconsonantal V. The Resit stem is therefore -ajraw-, formed by
combining -vjrvw- with the melody of the entire perfective system, and
with the Resit formatives χ-pcl and χ-pcl. By contrast, the adjectival verb
-vmsvd- 'be sharp', with the same -vPQvC- shape, has PerfP -amsaed- and
Resit -amsaed- (not #-3msdd-). For such adjectival verbs, the Resit shows
marked accent but no lengthening. Another case of this type is -vnvl- '(blade)
be blunt', PerfP -snasl-, Resit -anael- (not #-andl-).
