A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

250 5 Noun phrase structure

5.1.2.3 'One' versus 'other'

MaSgly-sen and FeSg ly-ast Ί' have been given above. In true numeral sense,
e.g. 'one house', the numeral is prenominal, like other numerals (§5.1.2.2, just
above). However, the same forms may be used post-nominally in indefinite
function 'a (certain) house'. This usage is fairly common on the initial mention
of a new discourse reference. The noun and the numeral generally have
separate accents: haeraet ly-asn 'a (certain) thing', not #haeraet iy-asn with
phrasal accent. In some contexts, where a newly introduced indefinite
discourse referent is contrasted to a previously introduced discourse referent,
an appropriate gloss is 'another': ae-hdbs iy-aen 'a (certain) man' or 'another
man'.
In this indefinite use, a plural formly-aed is also in common use: medd-asn
"ly-aed 'some men'. The -asd ending occurs nowhere else in the language with
plural function, to my knowledge. See, however, -ed with PI pronouns

(231) Forms of 'one' as Modifying Adjective

MaSg FeSg PI

ly-aen ly-aet ly-aed

An alternative plural ly-aen-asn, obviously built on the MaSg form ly-asn,

has the technical sense 'units', as in e-haen w-α η ly-asn-asn 'column of units'

(in arithmetic instruction).

In the absence of a substantive head noun, the plural 'some (ones)' is

expressed as in (232). In each case, the two i vowels fuse into a single phonetic

vowel.

(232) 'Some (ones)'

MaPl FePl

1 iy-aed t-Ί iy-asd

There is a tantalizingly similar set of forms meaning 'the other (one)'.

This is a specialized definite participial formation (the underlying verb being

unelicitable). The forms are given in (233).

(233) 'the other'

MaSg FeSf MaPl

w-α yyaed-aen t-α yyaed-aet w-i yyaed-nen