jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
7.2 Stem categories 309
b. 3zzay-asn-\t
know.ResIt-3MaPlS-V3MaSgO
They know (=are familiar with) it.'
c. ann-llmaed-aen d ae-kall
0-know.ResIt-3MaPlS with Sg-land
'They have become familiar with the land.'
d. e-naele ras [a n-srha]
Sg-millet only [Foe lPlS-want.Reslt]
'Millet only [focus] is what we want.' [K]
e. t-sess t-aekkus
Fe-cow 3FeSgS-be.hot.Reslt
'The cow is (=has become) warm.' [K]
f. t-asi-t-t dasY t-aniid
Fe-grass.sp.-Fe-FeSg too 3FeSgS-be.ripe.Reslt
'The Eragrostis grass too is ripe (=has ripened).' [K]
7.2.2.3 Perfective Negative stem (PerfN)
Negation is expressed in all aspect-mood categories by the preverb wser, which
undergoes Short-V Harmony to war when immediately followed by a high
vowel {u a i}. Both the PerfP and the Resit of positive sentences are negated
by a single form that is here labeled PerfN (Perfective Negative). For example,
both PerfP sssaen-aer Ί knew, found out', and the much more common Resit
sssdn-aev Ί know', are negated as war assen-aer Ί don't know' or Ί didn't
know'.
Curiously, the same combination of waer plus PerfN verb that is used to
negative the PerfP or Resit is also used as a prohibitive (i.e., negative
imperative) 'don't VERB!'. There is no audible difference, even at clause
level, between the prohibitive and perfective negative readings. However,
there is an alternative prohibitive construction consisting of waer plus the
Prohibitive] stem, which belongs to the long imperfective system. See
§7.2.5.3 for both types of prohibitive.
The PerfN is formed from the PerfP by adding a single ablaut formative
that is realized (if at all) as an e vowel. I label this e -pelf. This formative is
expressed audibly only in light stems ending in ...CaeC-, where it appears in
the second syllable. Otherwise the PerfN is homophonous to the PerfP. The
basic morphological data are given in (312).
