24 3 Phonology
original h has occurred north of the border. If so, the K-f pronunciation hy
may represent a transition between s and (Algerian) h.
Of comparative interest is the fact that original h is alive and well in all
normal C positions within stems. At stem-suffix (including stem-clitic)
boundaries, h often functions as a kind of epenthetic C breaking up V
sequences, though in a morphologically restricted manner suggesting that the h
is part of suffixal allomorphs (§3.2.3.3, §7.4.3, §10.3.1-2). By contrast, in
Tamajak (Niger) many cases of h in stems have been zeroed, especially in
final position, resulting in considerable morphological reshaping. See EPPB
61-135 for a historical analysis.
A major issue in Tuareg dialectology is variation between j (affricate [d3])
and g. The T-ka dialect, which is focal in this grammar, probably has the most
extreme preference for j of any Tuareg variety, though g also exists as a
phoneme. T-md is generally like T-ka in this matter. At the other extremity is
A-grm, which has no j as all; it has g in all cases where T-ka has j. The
remaining dialects covered here, including Im and R and the Kidal-area
varieties, agree with T-ka most of the time but have g in a number of lexical
items corresponding to j in T-ka. Example 1 (A-grm isolated): 'waterbag' =
ae-ja (Im K-d R T-ka T-md) or ae-ga (A-grm). Example 2 (Timbutku dialects
isolated): 'go' = PerfP -sjla- (T-kd T-md) or -agla- (A-grm Im K-d K-f R).
For historical background see EPPB 137-73.
3.1.1.1 Consonants of Arabic origin (s I h ?)
The segments s, 1, h, T, and? (glottal stop) occur in Arabic loans. In my T-ka
data, h and? in loanwords are clearly distinct from χ and r, respectively. A
minimal pair in T-ka is a-m-selTon 'accursed one' versus a-m-aelYon
'worthless person'. However, in most other Tamashek dialects including
T-md, R, A-grm, and K, Arabic h and? in ordinary loanwords are merged with
χ and y, respectively. Thus T-ka aelMdd versus other dialects' aelxadd
'Sunday'.
Glottal stop, which is already largely absent in local vernacular Arabic
dialects, occurs only in carefully pronounced, unassimilated Islamic
vocabulary and can be largely disregarded here, s and 1 are retained in
Tamashek in a modest number of words. 1 is mostly found in expressions
containing the word for God (Allah), but also occurs dialectally in e.g.
aellasrora 'harm' where it represents Arabic d (Hassaniya Arabic, especially
in Mauritania, has a lateral fricative for Classical Arabic d and *ö).