A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

13.3 Jussive and "subjunctive" clauses 677

c. [aegg 'ae-jasma] waer 0-seddobas-t [a-\d

[son Sg-bush] Neg 3MaSgS-be.able.PerfN [Dem-Comit

i-kras ae-kall faell ae-kall]

3MaSgS-be.long.time.ShImpf Sg-land on Sg-land]

Ά nomad ("son of the bush") cannot spend too long in one

place.'

d. waer seddobe-r

Neg be.able.PerfP-1 SgS

[a-\ha-m-\t äekf-aer]

[Dem-\Dat-2FeSg-\3MaSgO give.Shlmpf-lSgS]

Ί can't give it-Ma to you-FeSg.' [K]

e. waer aeddobe-γ

Neg be.able.PerfP-1 SgS

[a-\d war anse-v],

[DemAComit Neg go.to.bed.PerfN]

jarraew-senAa-hi ülhaw-aen

get.LoImpfP-3MaPlS-\0-1 Sg heart-MaPl

Ί can't do without lying down (in bed), I have heart trouble.'

[lit., "hearts got (=are afflicting) me"] [K]

f. aessof-aer

prefer.Reslt-lSgS

[a-\d tatt-asY d-i-ha-daer]

[DemAComit eat.LoImpfP-lSgS here]

Ί prefer to eat here (regularly).'

g. Eessof-aer

prefer.Reslt-lSgS

[a-\hi avlay-asn di-ha-daer]

[Dem-lSgO surround.Reslt-3MaPlS here]

Ί prefer that they-Ma surround (=stay close to) me.' [K]

In the somewhat awkward double negative example (820.b), the T-ka

informant also allowed a-\s with cliticized Instrumental preposition as an

alternative to dAd. He did not accept this substitution in the positive

complement in (820.a).

These verbs ('can', 'prefer') may also take VblN complements (§13.6.8).

13.3.3 Obligationals ('must', 'should', 'may not')

Strong obligationals ('must') can be expressed with -kvrvd- 'obligate' in the

main clause (with impersonal 3MaSg subject as default, cf. French il faut). The