A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

8.1 Causative 457

'Cook' in (464) is the causative of 'be cooked', which has basic form

-vqqo- in perfectives and short imperfectives, but LoImpfP -ηάηη- and VblN

(or Abstr) t-e-naegrje, which would seem to point to a stem variant -νηηυ- with

a nongeminate nq sequence. The fact that causative 'cook' (464) has the same

stem shapes as those for -vPQu- verbs in (463), above, could have either of

two explanations, viz., that -νΡΡυ- and - vPQu- are not distinguished in

causative formation, or that 'be cooked' is actually a -vPQu- verb. This leaves

'send' in (464) as the only unequivocal evidence for the form of causatives

from -νΡΡυ-. Here the basic causative form is -s-uku- 'send', and the apparent

underived input is -vkku- 'go to'. The conversion of -vkku- to -uku- in a

derivational formation here matches that of -vPPvC- stems to -uPvC- in

causatives (and other derivatives), as seen in e.g. -s-ufvy- 'make flow' from

input -vffvy-. This was analysed in §8.1.4), above, as pre-ablaut

reconfiguration of the stem. In the case of 'go to', the analogue would be a

pre-ablaut reconfiguration of -vkku- to -uku- as input into causative

derivation.

This takes care of all light -vCCu- input verbs of the aJi subtype. There are

also some heavy input verbs with the same vocalic alternations. Their

causatives are in (465). The inputs are -fvyku- 'be searched', -mussu- 'move',

and -tvruru- 'go down'.

(465) Causative Stems for -CvCCu- and -CvCuCu- Verbs

gloss PerfP Imprt LoImpfP VblN

'search' -ses-faeyka- s-sffsyk -s-afasyka- a-s-sfföyk

'drive' -ses-msessa- s-ammsss -s-amaessa- a-s-smmass

'send down' -aes-tserara- s-attarur -s-ltruru- a-s-attarur

Another example like 'drive', showing the same shortened medial V, is

causative -s-vfvggu- (PerfP -aes-fa^ga-) 'take lid off from -fuggu- (PerfP

-affugga-) '(lid) be blown off (among other senses). There is no trace of the

underlying u in the causative stems; even the characteristic long imperfective

melody is . More examples of Causative Medial V-Shortening (122) are in

§8.1.7, below.

For -UCCU- (I can cite no causatives of -DCI>), consider the causatives in

(466). Inputs are -ulwu- 'be wide, spacious', -ujju- 'stretch to look, peer',

-urmu- 'be stuck', and -uzju- 'be tranquil'.

(466) Causative Stems for -uCCu- Verbs

gloss PerfP Imprt LoImpfP VblN

'widen' -aess-olwa- s-ilaw -s-dlwa- a-s-ilaww

'make peer' -ass-ijja- s-Tjj -s-ajja- a-s-ljj