A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

536 8 Verbal derivation

c. t-a-CaPPe

Ifrar 'be useful' t-a-fsrre

Ifsas 'be lightweight' t-a-fasse

Irlal 'need clothes' t-a-ralle (A-grm)

Ismam 'be sour' t-a-samme

d. t-a-CuCe

araf 'be greedy'

Iwray 'be yellow'

ISWQT 'be red'

t-a-rufe

t-a-nnre (or t-se-rore)

t-a-sure (PI t-i-süraw-en)

In (566.a) we have abstractive t-a-CPaQe based on verbs with C sequence
VCPQ (disregarding intervening V's). In (566.b) there are two VCPQ verbs
with abstractive t-a-CaPQe, where Ρ is a nasal. In (566.c), where the C
sequence is VCPP with two identical C's, we get abstractive t-a-CaPPe.
Evidently the choice between t-a-CPaQe and t-a-CaPQe, though dialectally
variable and perhaps not completely predictable, does depend in some way on
features of Ρ and on the geminate or nongeminate status of PQ. In (566.d), the
stem has just two C's, and we get abstractive t-a-CuCe with medial u.
Another similar noun 'fear' has dialectal variants t-a-ksada, t-a-ksade,
t-üksada. The final α is notable; compare (562.a-b,g), above. The verb 'fear'
has PeriP -aeksod- or -aksud-.
A number of the feminine abstractive and VblN's considered in this and
preceding sections (541.a-e, 562.a-c,g, 566) have stem-final α or e with no
further FeSg suffix. On these archaic Feminine endings see (603) in §8.12.2,
below.

8.7 Adjectival nouns without derivational prefix

Many adjectival word-families include a stem with a meaning like 'a/the short
one', 'a/the red one', etc. These are nouns, with the gender-number affixation
typical of common nouns. The Sg vocalic prefix may be α-, ae-, or e-. The
plural is suffixal. Sample paradigms are V-final 'short one' and C-final 'old
man/woman' in (567).

(567) Adjectival Nouns 'short one ' (Vksl), 'old man/woman' (Vmrr)

Sg PI

a. 'short one'

Ma a-kassalu

Fe t-a-kassalu-t-t

i-kassalu-t-asn

t-i-kassalu-t-en