8.1 Causative 445Stem-Initial Syncope or Ci-Gemination. PerfP examples are -aess-omaem-
'suck' (with CrGemination) and syncopated -ses-faeyka- 'search through'. In
the perfectives, therefore, causatives are like underived verbs of similar shape.
However, most causatives have a unique pattern of stem-initial modification in
the short imperfectives (§3.4.8.2). Stem-Initial V-Insertion fails to apply. As
a consequence, Stem-Initial Syncope cannot apply. As for C,-Gemination, it
does apply, but not to the prefixal sibilant. Instead, it applies to the next
following C (in simple causatives, this is the first C of the inner stem),
provided that this targeted C is intervocalic (i.e. not clustered) and provided
that the inner stem is heavy (so the causative stem is superheavy). Thus for
s-vkvru- (+ -t) we get PerfP -aes-kasras-t but Imprt s-akkara-t (note the
geminated kk). For -s-vjvn- 'make kneel' we get PerfP -ses-jasn- but Imprt
s-ajan (this stem is too light for C,-Gemination). For -s-umvm- 'suck' we get
PerfP -sess-omaem- (A-grm -ass-omaem-) but Imprt s-umam.
This pattern of internal CrGemination is inactivated if another
derivational prefix is added to the left of the Caus prefix, the only common
combination being reciprocal-causative (-m- plus -s-). Thus simple Caus
-s-vn-vhvd- 'consult (about a decision) has Imprt s-ann-ahad with geminated
nn, but its Recip -m-vs-vn-vhvd- 'consult each other' has Imprt m-as-anahad
(with no gemination).
A third difference is that most causatives have
melody. For example, underived -CvCCvC- stems have
e.g. Imprt kaebbaer 'praise God!', but prosodically similar causative
-s-vCCvC- stems have
causative Shlmpf melody is
non-augment V-final causatives, thus -s-nvsu- 'put down', Imprt s-aens 'put
down' (for /s-asnsi/ with final deletable high V). Superheavy non-augment
V-final Shlmpf stems have
-s-affayk for /-s-affayki/.
As shown in the preceding paragraphs, causative perfectives (e.g. PerfP)
and causative short imperfectives (e.g. Imprt) have dissimilar onsets, since
only the perfectives undergo Stem-Initial V-Insertion (accompanied either by
Stem-Initial Syncope or by C,-Gemination), while short imperfectives do not
add the extra initial short V, and apply C,-Gemination if at all to the first post-
prefixal C. This description is true for T-ka, R, and K-d. However, in A-grm
the onset structure of the short imperfectives also applies to the perfectives.
Thus, for -s-vbvlulvr- 'make into a ball', A-grm shares with T-ka the Imprt
s-abbalular, but in A-grm the PerfP is -s-asbbaelalaer-, versus -aes-bselalaeY-
in T-ka and other dialects. Therefore A-grm Imprt s-abbalular and PerfP
-s-aebbaelalser- differ only in
A fourth major idiosyncrasy of causatives is the long imperfective system.
With causatives, there is no -t- prefix in the long imperfectives. In addition,
χ-pcl and χ-f, the two lengthening ablaut formatives, can apply audibly to
adjacent syllables in the LoImpfP, whereas in underived stems they can occur
audibly only if separated by at least one intervening syllable (clash avoidance).