A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

4.1 Noun morphology 181

Additional simple/geminated alternations occur in certain types of
suffixless ablaut plurals. Gemination of a medial C is observed in cases like
t-a-ftaq-q 'laying out', PI t-i-fsttar (§4.1.2.23). Gemination of a final C
occurs in cases like t-e-faetel-t 'lamp', PI t-i-ftall (§4.1.2.24).

4.1.2.9 Stem-internal vowel alternations

A few stems show alternations between α in the PI and another vowel from the
set {as, a, o, u, i} in the Sg.
In the first set of examples (156), the PI is 1-CaPP-aen, corresponding to a
Sg of the type v-CuC or geminated v-CoPP with short-voweled nominal prefix
and medial full vowel jieou). The ones with Sg v-CuC were just mentioned
in §4.1.2.8, where plain/geminate alternations were discussed.

(156) PI 1-CaPP-aen and 1-CaC-aen

singular plural gloss

a. ΡΠ-CaPP-aen for Sg v-CuPP

ae-bozz 1-bazz-aen

3-fudd, 3-fud 1-fadd-aen

ae-gezz l-gazz-asn (A-grm)

'emaciated animal'

'knee'

'cheek'

[T: ae-jazz, ΡΠ-jazz-aen]

ae-korr 1 -karr-aen

ae-morr 1 -marr-aen (A-grm)

ae-rojj 1 -rajj-aen

ae-suff 1-saff-aen (A-grm)

'mouse'

'arrow'

'wilderness'

'wilderness'

[T: Sg ae-soff, ΡΓι-soff-aen]

ae-sorr i-sarr-aen

ae-zumm 1-zamm-aen

'gazelle tendon'

'Ramadan'

b. PI 1-CaPP-aen for Sg v-CuP

ά-ril Ί-γαΙΙ-aen

a-fud (T-ka) i-fadd-asn

'right hand'

'knee'

[Sg also 3-fudd (T-md), ae-fiidd (widespread)]

3-fus (A-grm) 1-fass-aen

[Sg also a-fuss, ae-fuss]

ά-ril 1-vall-aen

ae-kos 1-kass-aen

t-£e-lom-t t-l-lamm-en (A-grm)

[PI also t-1-lomm-en T-ka]

a-mud l-madd-aen

[PI less often 1-mad-aen]

3-zum 1-zamm-aen

'prayer'

'Ramadan'

'hand'

'right hand'

'container'

'bran'