A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

3.4 Ablaut 119

This provides a useful test for the difficult example 'hit' in (91.c). Verbs of
-vPvC- shape show variation between -t-aPPdC- and -aPPdC- in the LoImpfP.
Especially in the second variant, there is a jurisdictional issue since the
lengthened V is both the first postconsonantal V and the final-syllable C. Even
in -t-sPPoC-, it appears that (for the only time) the -t- prefix is not treated as
the first C position for purposes of ablaut formative association, since the
accent formative χ-pcl targets the V following the stem-internal geminate PP.
Fortunately, the LoImpfN -swwit- and the Prohib -awwat- for 'hit', by
preserving the length of the final-syllable V, demonstrate that the lengthening
is due to χ-f (not χ-pcl). The two lengthening formatives here respect χ-clash
avoidance, since 'hit' is not a causative, but this time χ-f rather than χ-pcl is
dominant.

(92) Final-Syllable Vowel (Heavy Verbal Nouns)

gloss verb stem VblN (Sg) VblN (PI) formatives

'beg' -jvynvn- α-jaynan i-jaynin-sen χ-f (PI only)

α-jay nan i-jaynan-aen a-f

In (92), 'beg' illustrates the typical VblN patterns for heavy verb stems.
There are two VblN variants. The first has vocalic melody and
penultimate accent, hence α-jaynan. In the PI only, the formative χ-f is
superimposed, converting the final-syllable schwa to i. The alternative to
α-jaynan is a-jaynan, which I account for using an ad hoc formative α-f that
converts schwa to full a. One could, of course, decompose a-f into a L
melodic fragment combined with χ-f, but α-f applies to the Sg (as well as to
the PI) and so the parallelism with χ-f in the other VblN variant is not close.
As noted earlier (and elsewhere), one can argue for a χ-f (final-syllable
accent) formative as part of such nominal plurals as t-i-nadd from Sg t-e-naede
'fever' (§4.1.2.24). However, this could reduce to penultimate accent (see
below), or the PI pattern here could be taken as templatic.

3.4.5.4 "pel" = "f (e-pclf)

The PerfN (perfective negative) stem is distinguishable from the PerfP only

when the former's unique ablaut formative e-pclf is audibly present. This

formative changes as (in the PerfP) to e, provided that the ae is both the first

postconsonantal V and the V of the final syllable. Example: PerfP i-hlaek 'he

destroyed', PerfN war i-hlek 'he did not destroy'.

This ablaut formative has no effect on other vowels, including schwa (üjaj

'be/go far away', PerfP = PerfN). It does have an audible effect on the

following PerfP shapes: -aCCasC-, -aCasC-, -uCCasC-, -i)CasC-, -aewwaeC-. In

other words, it applies to light C-final stems with as in the final syllable. With