442 8 Verbal derivation
8.1.2 Sibilant Harmony in the Causative prefix
The basic mark of causatives is a prefix whose default form is -s-, just before
the verb stem. The prefixal sibilant harmonizes with (assimilates totally to) any
sibilant in the verb stem proper, even when other stem consonants intervene.
Intervening non-sibilant C's do not prevent this assimilation, which may
therefore operate at a relatively long distance.
(451) Sibilant Harmony
I know of no stem that has two distinct sibilants in T-ka. It may very well
be that sibilant harmony is a stem-wide constraint rather than something
specific to the Causative suffix. Examples are in (452).
(452) Sibilant Variation in Causative Prefixes
The -s- of the Causative prefix assimilates totally to a sibilant in
the stem.causative verb
-s- (as default)gloss-s-vdufu- (+ -t)
-s-νηηυ-'make plump'
'cook'
-s- (with s in stem)
-s-vsvfvr-
-s-vskvr-'treat (patient)'
'hold upright'-s- (with s in stem) [Arabic loans]
-s-vsuhu- (+ -t) 'strengthen'-s- (with s in stem)
-s-vlusu-
-s-vlvytvs-'clean sand from'
'shake off-z- (with ζ in stem)
-z-vgzvl-
-z-vjvzzu-' shorten'
'scrutinize'-z- (with ζ in stem)
-Z-VZV 1 WVT- (A-grm) 'glare at'-z- (with ζ in stem)
-z-vgrvz- (A-grm)
-z-vzvd-'please'
'sweeten'Occasionally, in eliciting causatives I would get a form with -s- prefix in
spite of another sibilant in the stem. My belief is that such forms represent