A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

434 7 Verbal morphology

phonetic [na'waet] 'we hit' is best segmented n-awaet in e.g. T-ka, but arguably

as ns-wast in K-area dialects.

7.4.1.2 Prefixal t-Deletion

To account for data just presented, a special rule is needed to account for the

deletion of t- before a C-initial stem. This has the appearance of a

phonologically motivated rule, but it is morphologically restricted.

The rule is (443), repeated from §3.2.1.5, where other possible cases

involving Long Imperfective -t- prefix are discussed.

(443) Prefixal t-Deletion

A pronominal subject prefix of the form /t-/ is deleted before a

C-initial verb stem.

I write 0- to indicate that at- prefix has been deleted, hence LoImpfP
0-sass 'she eats' and 0-sdssas-d 'you-Sg eat'. In the case of LoImpfP
alternations of the type -t-awwat- varying with -awwdt- 'hit', for -vCvC-
verbs, it is indeterminate whether [tawia't] 'she hits' should be transcribed
t-awwdt (with 3FeSg t-) or as 0-t-awwdt (with deleted 3FeSg prefix before
Lolmpf prefix -t-).

7.4.1.3 Phonology of-ceC subject suffixes

In §7.4.1, the lSg, 2Sg, 2MaPl, and 3MaPl suffixes are shown as beginning in

a short vowel ae. The as is easy to hear when the stem ends in a C, as in 3MaPl

ajjaes-aen 'they entered' (cf. 3MaSgl-jjaes).

When the suffixes are added to verb stems ending in a full high vowel u or

i, the suffixal short V disappears. For VV-Contraction resulting in the deletion

of the suffixal short V after a high V, see §3.2.3.3. Examples: PerfP -asu-

'cough' (cf. 3MaSg 1-su) in 3MaPl asu-n 'they coughed'; LoImpfP -riddu-

'believe' (cf. 3MaSg i-riddu) in 2Sg 0-riddu-d 'you believe'; and LoImpfP

-t-lwi- in 3MaPl t-iwi-n 'they are born'.

There are no cases where verb-stem-final mid-height {eo} are followed

by a subject suffix. The only verb form ending in o, PerfP -seffo- '(day)

break', allows only 3MaSg inflection (§7.3.2.15) and so cannot be followed by

subject suffixes.

This leaves α as the only possible stem-final full vowel other than {ui}

that can be followed by a subject suffix. When α is followed by a V-initial

subject suffix, the contractions are as in (444), repeated from §3.2.3.3.