A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

528 8 Verbal derivation

(559) Verbal Noun of Prefixal Derivatives (Augmented Verbs)

gloss Sg VblN PI VblN

Passive (cf. PerfP -aetw-aehabae-t)

'be dragged' α-tw-shubu i-tw-ahubu-taen

Causative (cf. PerfP -aes-taeqqas-t)

'cluck tongue' a-s-attaqqu i-s-sttsqqu-taen

8.6.2 Verbal nouns of underived verbs with -m-/-n- prefix

For some underived verbs, the form used as VblN contains the -m- (or -n-)

prefix elsewhere associated with the Mediopassive. These are to be

distinguished from regular VblN's of mediopassive verbs (§8.6.1.6). Examples

in (560).

(560) Verbal Nouns with -m- or -n- prefix

Imprt gloss VblN

a. ajdsh 'be enough' m-ijdaehaw

ajdsh 'be equal' m-ljdaehaw

ajar 'be bigger' m-ijraw ('majority')

slkah 'underestimate' m-selkaehaw

srkah 'rot' m-aerksehaw

b. akan 'do much' m-akaena, m-aekaena

3S3l 'listen' m-aessela (A-grm)

c. 3S3l 'listen' m-aesaell-set

aras 'reward' m-arus-ast

assan 'know' m-üsn-aet (A-grm K)

3SS3m 'be bigger' n-üsm-aet ('majority')

d. adan I 'take to pasture' t-a-m-sdin-t I

asal 'put on shoes' t-a-m-ssil-t (A-grm)

e. assam 'become big' t-an-usme ('being an e

The VblN's in (560.a) begin with m- and show a stem-final (or perhaps
suffixal) w. Those in (560.b) have m- and a stem-final a. Those in (560.c)
have m- and Fe suffix -ast. Note that dialectal variants for 'listen' occur in
(560.b) and (560.c). The remaining forms have Fe prefix t-, with either FeSg
suffix -t (560.d) or stem-final e (560.e).