jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
2.2 Nouns 13
Importantly, while the [X Y' ...] depencies in (8) require direct adjacency
(except that they allow floating clitics to be hosted by X), the dependency of
the Short Imperfective on the Future particle or on the complementizer in (9)
can extend to a second short imperfective clause appended to the first one,
with no repetition of the X element. Thus [Future Shlmpf,, Shlmpf 2 ] is
grammatical, where both verbs are under the scope of the Future morpheme
(cf. English he will come, and eat). No confusion is likely, since the Shlmpf
cannot be used in the absence of a dependency. In other words, a Shlmpf can
be triggered by a variable-distance dependency; compare the concept of
"serie enchainee" adapted from other Berberist literature to Tuareg by Leguil
(1992:43). By contrast, we cannot get e.g. #[Neg Verb,, Verty where both
verbs are under the scope of the negator; the correct expression is [Neg Verb,,
Neg Verb 2 ] with the negator repeated, since adjacency is required in local
dependencies.
2.2 Nouns
Examples of singular nouns are in (10)
(10) a. ae-bajan 'monitor lizard'
b. t-ae-s-anan-t 'oxpecker (bird)'
c. deke 'basket'
The masculine noun in (lO.a) and the feminine noun in (lO.b) have vocalic
prefixes, here -ae- (other nouns have -α-, -e-, or -a-). Since the prefix changes
to -i- in the plural, I gloss it as "Sg" or "PI" as the case may be. (lO.c) is an
example of a noun with no vocalic prefix (most such nouns have masculine
agreement). The feminine noun (lO.b) additionally has a Fe[minine] prefix t-
and a Feminine Singular (FeSg) suffix -t, which could be summed up as a
FeSg circumfix t-...-t. For feminine nouns of the same basic type that end in a
vowel, an additional (inner) Fe suffix -t- is added, so the singular noun has an
affix frame t-V-...-t-t. The inner -t- is retained in suffixal plurals (t-V-...-t-en),
but the whole -t-t sequence is dropped in unsuffixed ablaut plurals. Some
feminine nouns lack the suffixes even in the singular, showing only the Fe
prefix t-.
While most noun stems are underived, some are derived (by some
combination of ablaut and prefixation). This is the case with 'oxpecker' (lO.b),
which contains an -s- prefix, cf. prefixally derived causative verb (PerfP)
-£ess-onasn- 'tame, break in (animal)'. The vocalic prefix precedes the
derivational prefix.
Pluralization of nouns is by affixation, by ablaut, or by a combination of
the two, depending on the noun (some nouns have alternative plurals, typically
one affixal and one ablaut). In the purely affixal plural, the vocalic prefix (if
present) becomes -i-. Masculines add suffix -asn or -taen (the latter is common
