A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

4.1 Noun morphology 197

stem (word-penultimate) accent. This can be derived from representations like
/l-haedi-aen/, provided that we allow Default Accentuation to apply before
VV-Contraction, cf. (169.a-b), above. For dialects where 'large earring' has
the variant Sg form e-za§b, this stem belongs in (173.C) rather than (173.d).

Especially for the Sg shape e-CaeC(C) or e-CaeC(C), there is some
dialectal variation between PI l-CasC(C)-an (suggesting a covert stem-final V)
and PI l-CaeC(C)-aen (with simple suffixal -aen) in individual cases. Such
variants are indicated in (173.a) for e-faeyd and e-taeqq. This variation is
understandable, since other Sg nouns with this shape are distributed between
the two types, so there is no shortage of models for analogical stem-class
shifts.
Some additional -an (and -en) plurals that, like the preceding cases, do not
show the PI ablaut melody as given in (174). Note the e and (in one
case) ae in the PI stems, where the Η part of the PI melody would normally
require a high V.

(174) Non-Ablaut -an (and -en) Plurals with e or ae in Plural Stem

singular plural gloss

a. masculine, initial e, stem-final u desyllabified to w

elu elw-αη 'elephant'

[accents with prep: χ elu, χ elw-αη (A-grm)]

esu esw-αη (A-grm, T-ka) 'bull'

[also irregular PI aswan-aen (T-ka)]

b. masculine, initial e

e-faed efd-αη (A-grm) 'thousand'

[PI also afasd-asn]

elasr elv-an 'shin'

eras ers-αη 'sharp pain'

c. masculine, initial α/e alternation

ά-dar edr-αη (A-grm) 'foot bruises'

a-haerr ehr-αη 'lion'

d. feminine nouns, initial e or α/e alternation

t-efeq-q t-efv-en 'ganglion'

[Sg could also be transcribed t-efaq-q]

t-era-t-t t-er-t-en 'waterskin hoop'

t-elasq-q t-elv-en 'knife'

t-esam-t t-esm-en 'salt'

e. feminine nouns, initial e, with Degemination

t-effar-t t-efr-en 'hobbles (fetters)'