jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
7.3 Verb classes and irregular verbs 397
(§3.5.9). The two verbs diverge again in the VblN's, where only 'load' applies
Medial V-Shortening. The 'go south' type is more consistent with the vocalism
of-CuCCvC- verbs like -hussvl- 'be obligatory' (§7.3.1.7).
The other verb of the 'load' type (394) is -bubbu- 'carry (baby) on back'
(PerfP -abbubba-, Imprt babb, LoImpfP -t-abaebba-, VblN a-babb or bsebba
(also α-bübb for K-d). The verbs 'sit' and 'testify' in §7.3.2.9-10 have some
idiosyncracies but have similar MAN stem paradigms.
The other verbs of the 'go south' type (394) are -fuggu- 'be detached' (e.g.
LoImpfP -t-lfaggu-, VblN α-fugg) and -jurhu- 'end up' (e.g. LoImpfP
-t-rjarhu-, VblN a-jurh).
'Load' and 'be detached' have reported cognates in Niger Tamajak, where
they appear to have the same conjugation (LTF2: 59, 83, 441), including VblN
"aCCaCCi," Shlmpf "äCCäCCu," and LoImpfP "-taCäCCu." For Algeria,
DTF 1.406 has forms for 'load' including 3MaSg PerfP "iego'ugga" and Imprt
"gagg", and similar forms are given for 'carry (baby) on back' DTF 1.16,
while 'be detached' has Imprt "fouggou" DTS 1.308, so Algeria at least has a
split like that in Malian Tamashek. 'Load' has a counterpart in Songhay
(jeeje), and 'carry (baby) on back' is a widespread West African word found in
most Malian languages; I am not sure which language is the original source of
either item.
A verb meaning 'be sterile' has a related paradigm, but my T-ka data
show a mix of non-augment and augmented forms: PerfP -ajjujra- or
augmented -ajjujrae-t, Imprt jüjra-t, LoImpfP -t-ijajru- or augmented
-t-Tjajru-t, abstractive nominal ajjajru. The imperfective vocalism links this
verb with 'go south' in (394). The instability is due to the fact that jr is an
unstable word-final cluster, in that the r is more sonorous than the j. This
would be a particular problem in the Imprt, where non-augment /jujri/ should
appear as #jujr after Stem-Final i/A-Deletion (29) (§3.1.2.4). This would
require resyllabification by Final-CC Schwa-Insertion and (in T-ka)
Epenthetic-V Accentuation to #jujar. Adding Augment -t makes it possible to
avoid this resyllabification.
The A-grm speaker gave a different paradigm for 'be sterile', not involving
Stem-Final i/A-Deletion: PerfP -aggagra-, Imprt gsegru, and LoImpfP
-t-agaegra-. For K-d I elicited PerfP -sejjujrae-t but could not elicit
imperfectives (the verb denotes a stative quality and therefore appears most
often in the Resit, in the perfective system). The R informant did not recognize
the word.
I now turn to verbs that have a basic middleweight shape -CoCu- with
ungeminated medial C. These verbs cannot undergo Medial V-Shortening,
which requires a CC cluster after the medial full V. Most of the verbs also fail
to apply Q-Gemination in the wake of Stem-Initial V-Insertion (perfective
system, Shlmpf). The most striking feature of these verbs, however, is a mid-
height V {o e) in the perfectives. The avoidance of C,-Gemination and the
perfective mid-height V link these verbs to -CuCvC- verbs.
