A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

8.9 Nonagentive nominals with-m-or-η- 549

g. -s-uCvC- with agentive e-m-aess-aCuC

'travel' s-lksl ae-m-asss-akul (PI i-m-ass-ukal)

'heal' z-üzay ae-m-aezz-azuy (PI i-m-szz-uzay)

'milk' z-üzsj ae-m-aszz-cizuj (R)

h. -s-uCCvC-

'scratch' s-ükmss e-n-aess-ekmss (PI i-n-ass-ukmas)

'be lazy' s-ündsd e-m-asss-endad (PI i-m-ass-ündad)

i. -s-vsvCiv (+ -t)

'strengthen' s-sssuhs-t e-m-asss-sesehi

j. multiple prefixal derivatives

'narrate' -aes-n-alaes- e-m-aes-netas (R)

From these data we can see that the (morpho-)phonology of causative
agentives is closely related to that for underived causatives. Note the
penultimate accent for unaugmented stems, versus the default antepenultimate
accent in (574.i) for an augmented stem. The e in the penult also appears in
several examples. Therre is competition between a type with ...eCaC and one
with ...dCuC in (574.f-g).

8.9 Nonagentive nominale with -m- or -n-

In addition to agentive nominals, there are a number of nonagentive
(instrument, product of action, etc.) nominals with prefix -m-, with the usual
shift to -n- if the following stem contains a labial. Since these nominals are
nonagentive, there is some ambiguity as to whether this prefix is the "same" as
that in agentive nominals (§8.8, above), or the same as the Mediopassive
derivational prefix.
First, there are some nonagentive nominals with agentive form (575).

(575) Nonagentive Nominals with the Form of Agentives

verb gloss stem Nominal gloss

a. 'be sewn'

'lay out'

-vzmvy- ae-n-dzmay 'needle'

-vftvY- ae-n-dftar 'guest'

[bedding or a mat is laid out for a guest]

'see' -vnhvy- t-ae-m-anhay-t 'mirror'

b. 'be planted' -vrtu- e-m-aert

'wear' -vlsu- e-m-aels

'tree'

'garment'