jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
3.4 Ablaut 137
formative is present. Example: 0-osae-\dd 'he came (arrived here)'. However,
since the Centripetal clitic begins in a short V, this shortening might be
analysed as a direct effect of VV-Contraction, cf. (37.d), without invoking the
Presuffixal α-shortening rule needed for the other cases described above.
Presuffixal α-Shortening does not apply to nouns. If a noun is V-final, it
can take MaPl suffix -taen, FeSg suffix complex -t-t, or FePl suffix complex
-t-en, with no shortening of the stem-final V (§4.1.2.2).
The rule can be stated as (112).
(112) Presuffixal α-Shortening (Non-Augment Verbs)
stem-final α —» ae
a) before any C-initial suffix (subject or participial)
b) before any V-initial subject or Participial suffix (heavy non-
augment V-final verbs)
c. before a Plural V-initial subject suffix or a V-initial Participial
suffix (light V-final verbs)
The highly irregular impersonal verb-like stem -aeba-, which with an
object NP X means 'X was lost', appears to lose or shorten its α in some
combinations (§7.3.2.16).
3.4.9.2 Pre-Augment V-Shortening
Another suffix that induces shortening of a preceding stem-final full V is the
Augment -t- that occurs in some but not all forms in the paradigms of
"augment verbs" (§7.1). This is the only C-initial suffix that can directly
follow an augment verb, since -t- occurs before C-initial subject and Participial
suffixes as well as word-finally.
Like non-augment verbs (preceding section), augment verbs shorten α to χ
(113).
(113) PerfP of Augment Verb -furru- 'fly away'
a. affurre-n 3MaPl
b. l-ffiirras-t 3MaSg
c. t-affurrae-t-maet 2FePl
In inflected forms, Augment -t- is absent before V-initial subject suffixes
like 3MaPl -aen, whereupon stem-final /a/ contracts with suffix-initial /ae/ to
form e (113.a), see §3.2.3.3. However, Augment -t- is present in the absence of
a suffix (113.b), and before a C-initial subject suffix (113.c), and we observe
shortening of the stem-final led to ae in these cases.
