A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

10.2 Directional clitics 599

b. i-ss3Yael-\sdd

3MaSgS-work.PerfP-\Centrip

'He came working.' (= 'He was working as he came.')

c. i-ksae-\dd

3MaSgS-eat.PerfP-\Centrip

'It (=brush fire) ate up (the vegetation) coming this way.'

d. aeqqlm-av-Vadd

sit.PerfP-1 Sg-\Centrip

Ί stayed here (i.e. didn't go).'

e. ohabz-aen-\0dd

approach.PerfP-3MaPl-\Centrip

'They-Ma came together.'

f. t-omad-mastAadd a-jaerof

2S-gather.Reslt-2FePlS-\Centrip Sg-Tribulus

'You-FePl gathered and brought (a quantity of) Tribulus vine.'

[K]

The centripetal sense can also be specialized by association with object

NPs in the proximate zone. When discourse is based on the here-and-now, the

relevant center is either the speaker or the inclusive 'here' of speaker and

addressee, so the Centripetal clitic is associated with a lSg or 1P1

pronominal. This is most striking in verbs like 'pardon' whose directionality is

abstract.

(659) 2ens-\a-hi-\dd

pardon.ImprtAO-1 Sg-\Centrip

'Pardon me!.'

In (660), -\add occurs with 'see' and 2Sg subject, since the deictic center is
addressee-focused. I believe the Centripetal is used here, despite the apparent
passivity of 'see', because the contextual sense is 'experience' or even
'undergo'.

(660) a-s-lkal ws-ndin...,

Sg-Instr-trip Ma-RecAnaph...,

maAdar-asAsdd t-anhay-asd?

what?-\in-3Sg-\Centrip 2S-see.Reslt-2SgS

'That (recent) trip ..., what did you see (=experience) during it?'

For more on abstract senses, see §10.2.3, below.