A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

430 7 Verbal morphology

(438) Consonantism for 'pi<

cluster

up'

PerfP LoImpfP dialect(s)

nongeminate

a. tk -atkael- -takkael- T-ka

b. dk -atkasl- -dakkael- ImKK-d K-fRT-md

c. dk -adkasl- -dakkael- A-grm

geminate

d. kk -akksel- -t-akkael- T-ka T-md

In (438.a-c) we have a nongeminate cluster PQ. These verbs are therefore
of the type -vPQvC-, and the stem paradigms are consistent with the regular
pattern for such verbs (§7.3.1.1). The only minor phonological issue is that
/dk/ undergoes voicing assimilation to tk when clustered (§3.2.1.3).
The geminated variant (438.d) constitutes a verb of the type -vPPvC-,
which requires a LoImpfP -t-aPPaeC-. Note, however, that -t-dkkael- (438.d) is
identical in form to -tdkkael- (438.a).
The VblN is a-Taekal with Τ attested as {t d d} and there is a noun
t-a-Täkkel-t with Τ attested as {t d}. There is no VblN #ukal, which we would
expect for dialects with geminate subtype (438.d). I infer from this that the
geminate subtype is of recent origin and has not yet been completely
"nativized."
Niger Tamajak has subtypes (438.c), with Tayert dialect also showing
(438.d).

7.3.2.20 'be enough' (y/jdh) and 'be equal' (^1 Jjdh)

These two verbs show overlapping paradigms. Many dialects have g instead of
j, but I disregard this here to focus on the vocalism and stem shapes.
'Be equal, level' is of -ojdvh- shape with initial full V, and its inflected
paradigms are regular on this basis: PerfP -ojdash-, Shlmpf -ajdsh-, LoImpfP
-t-ijdsh- (A-grm as usual has melody, hence LoImpfP -t-djdaeh-).
'Be enough' is of -vjdvh- shape with initial short V (PerfP -ajdaeh-,
Shlmpf -sjdah-). However, its attested long imperfectives fluctuate between
those compatible with -vjdvh- and -ujdvh- shapes: -jdddaeh-/-gdddaeh- (R
T-ka), -t-lgdah- (A-grm T-md), and an anomalous variant t-agaeddah-
(A-grm).
For both 'be enough' and 'be equal', the nominal m-ydashaw
(m-lgdsehaw) is used as a VblN ('sufficiency', 'equality, levelness').