A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

7.3 Verb classes and irregular verbs 365

(368) Verb Paradigms, Unaugmented -CvCCu- and -CvCvCCu- verbs

middleweight superheavy

-PvCCu- -PvCvCCo-

a. perfective system

PerfP -aPPaCCa- -aePCaeCCa-

Reslt -aPPiCCa- -aPiCaeCCa-

[in dialects except T-ka and A-grm, Resit begins with ae]

PerfN -aPPaCCa- -aePCaeCCa-

b. short imperfective system

Shlmpf /-aePPaeCCi-/ /-PaCaCCi-/

Imprt PaeCC PaCaCC

c. long imperfective system

LoImpfP -t-aPaeCCa-

LoImpfN -t-aPaCCi-

Prohib -t-aePaeCCa-

-t-lPCaCCi-

-t-aPCaCCi-

-t-aPCaCCi-

d. nominalization

VblN a-PaCC a-PCaCC

The long imperfectives show both χ-pcl and χ-f audibly, since the two
targeted syllables are separated by another syllable.
The middleweight stems and the superheavy stems have quite distinct
perfective and imperfective melodies. The middleweight type shows
C,-Gemination in the perfectives and in the inflectable Shlmpf, while the
superheavy type shows Stem-Initial Syncope (§3.4.8.1). In melodies and
treatment of the initial C ("P"), the middleweight type -PvCCu- matches such
C-final types as -Pv(C)CvC- and -PvCCv(C)CvC-, while the superheavy type
-PvCvCCu- matches C-final types like -PvCv(C)CvC- (§7.3.1.2, above).
In (369) I give all verbs known to me of the types in (368). 'Resemble' in
(369.b) is historically a reciprocal derivative.

(369) Heavy V-Final Verbs (without Resyllabification)

gloss PerfP Imprt LoImpfP VblN

a. middleweight

'harm'

'be searched'

'be spread'

'raise young'

-aljarra-

-affayka-

-aTYamma-

-arrabba-

laerr ι

fseyk

iaemm

raebb

-t-alaerra-

-t-afaeyka-

-t-aiaemma-

-t-araebba-

a-larr ι

a-fayk

a-iamm

a-rabb