jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
7.4 Pronominal subject paradigms 437
combines with the 3MaSg prefix as M. The BLC then has its usual effect on
the preceding /i/, lowering it to phonetic [ε]. For example, the PerfP stem
-adlaem- [as'dlsem] is treated as beginning in schwa rather than ae, as always
for PerfP stems of -vCCvC- verbs, so the 3MaSg form is /i-adlzem/,
contracting to /i-dlasm/, and realized as phonetic [e'dlasm] 'it melted'.
In T-kas, verbs with PerfP shape -sewwaeC-, patterning as though derived
from /owasC/, behave regularly with respect to 3MaSg prefix allomorphy, as in
0-aewwaer 'he held back' and 0-zewwaed 'he arrived'. However, I recorded
forms like e-waed (Ansongo-Gourma) and e-wwaed (Imeddedeghan-Gourma)
'he arrived' in other dialects. The paradigmatic forms other than 3MaSg in
these dialects (e.g. 3MaPl swwaed-aen) were identical to those of Kal Ansar
dialects.
7.4.2 Omission of subject prefixes with perfective adjectival verbs
Many adjectival verbs (§7.3.1.11) have C-initial perfectives that do not allow
subject pronominal prefixes, though they do allow the usual subject
pronominal suffixes. A sample paradigm is (446). The rule is given as (447).
(446) PerfP of 'become black'
ISg kswal-aer
1P1 —
2Sg kswal-sed
2MaPl kaewal-aem
2FePl ksewal-maet
3Sg kswal
3MaPl k£wal-aen
3FePl kaewal-nast
(447) Subject Prefix Omission (all dialects)
In perfective forms of the class of C-initial adjectival verbs,
subject prefixes are absent (while subject suffixes occur as usual).
Except for the 1P1, the paradigm (446) provides nearly as much categorial
information as a regular verb paradigm with subject prefixes and suffixes. The
merger of 3MaSg and 3FeSg into a general 3Sg category is not unusual, since
these categories are also merged in some other areas of the morphology
(notably as possessors and as complements of prepositions).
However, the paradigm does present a problem for the 1P1 subject
category, which (like 3MaSg and 3FeSg) is elsewhere expressed only by a
prefix. One might expect the 1P1 to also appear as ksewal, but informants
accepted this bare stem form only for 3Sg subject. Instead, a circumlocation or
