A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

(Jeff_L) #1
7.3 Verb classes and irregular verbs 345

For -vPvC-: acted 'bite', afal 'leave, go from', avas [ae'vas] '(insect) bite',

ahad [ae'haed] 'swear', ahar [ae'haer] 'shut', ajar [a'jaer] 'throw', and awal

'turn'.

7.3.1.2 Heavy C-final short-V -Cv(C)CvC-, -CvCvCCvC-, etc...

Under this rubric I consider stems with Imprt shapes like the following (v =

short vowel): bisyllabic -Cv(C)CvC- with three C-positions; trisyllabic

-Cv(C)CvCCvC- with four C-positions; and the infrequent quadrisyllable

-CvCvCCv(C)CvC- with five C-positions. All of these are heavy verbs. Those

with three C-positions are more specifically middleweight, and those with

four or more C-positions are superheavy (§3.4.1.4).

The first and last C-positions in the Imprt in the verbs considered here are

filled by single C's. In my lexicographic data, it appears that in superheavy

stems the third C-position must be a cluster. Since few verbs with five

C-positions are attested, there may be an accidental gap regarding C versus CC

in the second C-position.

Superheavy stems may be full or partial reduplications, and may have an

internal geminate, but internal structure is irrelevant to MAN stem formation

and inflection.

Representative paradigm schemas are given in (349), again using Ρ to

index the stem-initial C, in order to make gemination and syncope effects

transparent. Note that except for the Resit of -Cv(C)CvC- verbs, the

underlying marked grammatical accents of the Resit and LoImpfP are in the

third or fourth syllable from the right and are therefore overridden (or made

redundant) by Default Accentuation.

(349) Paradigm Schemas

middleweight superheavy

-PvCvC- -PvCvCCvC- -PvCCvCCvC-

a. perfective system

PerfP -aPPaCaeC- -aePCaeCCaeC- -aPPaCCaeCCaeC-

Reslt -aPPiCaeC- -aPlCaCCaeC- -aPPICCaeCCaeC-

[Rslt forms dialectally with initial ae]

PerfN -aPPaCaeC- -«PCaeCCaeC- -aPPaCCaeCCasC-

b. short imperfective system

ShlmpfP -aePPaeCaeC- -aPCaCCaC- -aePPsCCaeCCaeC-

Imprt PaeCaeC PaCaCCaC PseCCaeCCaeC
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