jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
3.4 Ablaut 145
adjectival verb whose imperfectives are based on -istak-, e.g. Imprt Istak (cf.
PerfP -astik-). Likewise, causative -s-vfvd- 'make thirsty' is from an input
with imperfectives based on -ifad-, dialectally -üfad- (cf. PerfP -affud-).
There are some difficulties in analysis, the main choice being whether the
input to causative formation is the perfective or the imperfective. There are
also some exceptions to V-Shortening that cannot be easily explained away.
For fuller data, see (458) in §8.1.5. A provisional formulation of the rule is
(124).
(124) Causative Initial V-Shortening (with exceptions); repeated as (460)
A full V in the first syllable of an underived bisyllabic
imperfective -i/uC(C)aC- verb is reduced to a short V in the basic
form of the causative, [with exceptions; rule assumes that input is
underived imperfective]
Rules (123) and (124) often co-occur, so that both full V's of e.g. -istak-
'be empty' are shortened in Caus -s-vstvk- (e.g. PerfP -ass-sstaek-). Rule
(124) resembles Medial V-Shortening (120), which applies to imperfective and
VblN forms of underived (i.e. non-causative) stems. However, (124) does not
require a medial CC cluster. All of these shortening rules are confined to
particular verbal ablaut contexts, and it is not useful to reduce them to a single
"general" rule.
Another relevant causative is -s-ündu- 'churn', with stems including PerfP
-ass-unda- and LoImpfP -s-indu-. The LoImpfP is derived via /-s-undi-/ and
/-s-andu-/, with u-Spreading and with Causative Medial V-shortening of u to
a. See end of §8.1.6 for the derivation. That these two morphophonological
rules are part of the ablaut formation rule is shown by the fact that they apply
after the integration of melody and the χ-f formative, but before the
attachment of the χ-pcl and χ-pcl formatives.
3.4.10 Vowel-semivowel dissimilation (iw for #uw, ew for #ow)
There is evidence in ablaut patterns that expected sequences uw and ow, where
the round V is due to an ablaut melody and the w is lexical, are replaced by iw
and ew, respectively.
This is seen in the unsuffixed ablaut plural of nouns, where a full stem V
in the Sg, not in the final syllable, is normally realized as u in the PI. However,
if the following C is w, we get i instead of u. Thus se-bawan 'monitor lizard',
PI i-blwan (for expected #i-buwan). See §4.1.2.17 for more examples.
In verb stems with a full medial V, not in the final syllable, there is some
dialectal variation between ο and e in the perfective system when the VblN
points to lexical i. Here the e output makes more sense phonologically, cf.
V-Height Compromise (§3.4.7). However, except in mediopassive derivatives.
