A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

4.1 Noun morphology 203

of the lexical C's, or by inserting a nonlexical default (filler, expletive) C.
With this in mind, consider the examples in (180). Here the plurals have the
same -CsCC- shape as in (178), but with a stem-final w (rarely y) in the PI that
is not transparently transferred from the Sg.

(180) Ablauted MaPl -an Preceded by Nonlexical w or y

singular plural gloss

Sg V-final with single medial C, PI in. ,.w-an

e-bseje "l-bajw-an 'horse'

ά-faezo l-fszw-an 'markouba grass'

[PI alsol-fsza (A-grm)]

e-haere l-havw-an 'young bull'

[PI also unablauted suffixal i-haer-αη]

e-hasre Ί-harw-an 'wealth'

a-jsju l-jsjw-an 'arc-ed pole'

b. Sg V-final with medial geminate, PI in ...w-αη with Degemination

ά-zakkaι ι ϊ-zakw-an 'tomb'

c. Sg V-final, PI in ...w-αη, stem V shortened

se-dad 1-ctadw-an (A-grm) 'finger'

[different word for 'finger' in T-ka]

d. Sg C-final, PI in ...w-αη, stem V shortened, with Degemination

ae-hojj Vhsjw-an (K) 'colt'

[PI elsewhere 1-hojj-aen, 1-hagg-an]

e. Sg C-final, PI in ...y-αη, stem V shortened, with Degemination

a-mijj "l-majy-an 'vein'

[PI also l-mijj-asn]