A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

422 7 Verbal morphology

For T-ka and some other dialects, -νΐΐυ- is syntactically transitive, but the

"object" is an invariant 3MaSg clitic (allomorphs -\e, -\t, etc.), and in some

combinations this clitic is optionally dropped. For these dialects, the clitic is

nonreferential. When the Negative preverbal particle is present, the clitic (as

usual) follows thie Negative particle. Examples showing the clitic are in (424).

(424) Existential/Locational -vllu- (T-ka)

a. i-ll-\e

3MaSgS-be.Reslt-\3MaSgO

'He/it exists.' (= 'He/it is here.')

b. slla-naetAt

be.Reslt-3FePl-\3MaSgO

'They-FePl exist.' (= 'They are here.')

c. t-3lle-d-\t (pronounced [...e't:])

2S-be.Reslt-2SgS-\3MaSgO

'You-Sg exist.' (= 'You are here.')

[< /t-alld-aedAt/]

d. t-allAe t-edi-t-t

3FeSgS-be.Reslt-\3MaSgO Fe-dog-Fe-FeSg

'There is a she-dog.'

e. waer-\t 1-lla "ce-hsen

Neg-\3MaSgO 3MaSgS-be.PerfN Sg-house

'There is no house (or tent).'

f. wasr-\t alle-naet

Neg-\3MaSgO be.PerfN-3FePlS

'They-Fe are absent.'

g. kaela-\tt sllse-n assln medd-asn

Past-\3MaSgO be.PerfP-3MaPlS two-Ma men-MaPl

'There were two men.'

As (424.c) shows, the subject can be 1st or 2nd person, generally in the

sense 'be (here), be present'. Further examples are slle-q-\q Ί am here',

n-all-\e 'we are here', and t-alld-mAt 'you-MaPl are present'.

For the primary K-d, T-ka, and R informants, omission of the 3MaSgO

clitic occurred after 2FePl -maet and 3FePl -naet (in positive sentences), hence

t-alld-maet 'you-FePl are here' and alla-nast 'they-FePl exist, are here', instead

of #t-alla-ma£t-\t, etc. Contrast 3MaPl all0-n-\t in these dialects, with clearly

audible 3MaSgO clitic -\t. There is no phonological reason preventing the