A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

3.2 Local assimilations and syllabification rules 79

3.2.7.2 Leftward L-Spreading

In order to complete the analysis of syncopated perfective verbs, it is necessary

to formulate a rule spreading the L part of <H L> to the left edge of the stem

precisely when Syncope also applies. Let us begin with PerfP -£exbabae-t

'(hole) gape' mentioned in §3.2.7.1, above. Given the asymmetrical Syncope

rule suggested above, the derivation should be of the general type (57), leaving

the precise nature of the final spreading rule open for the moment. Note that

Syncope applies to fat, and only thereafter does the <L> part of the <H L>

melody spread to the left edge of the stem.

(57) Derivation of -aexbabae-t via (symmetrical) Short-V Harmony

One possible candidate for the mystery spreading rule is Short-V
Harmony. As noted above (§3.2.6), the harmony rule could arguably be
formulated in either a symmetrical or asymmetrical form. If we go for the
symmetrical version, it should harmonize /a...ae/ to surface sequence «ae ae», as
well as harmonizing /ae...a/ to surface sequence <o 3», as special cases of a
more general harmonic process (where the second V in each sequence can be
either full or short). In this scenario, the spreading rule at the end of (57) could
just be a special case of (symmetrical) Short-V Harmony.
However, I argued for an asymmetrical (i.e. more restricted) Short-V
Harmony rule, on the grounds that <o ae» and other «H L» sequences are stable
in several environments. This includes unsuffixed ablaut plurals of nouns,
which have a clear melody. It also applies to perfective stems of some
verb types, e.g. PerfP -ahlask- 'destroy' and -azzalbaebbaey- 'be slippery',
where we observe such surface sequences as «H L», «Η Η L», and «Η Η L L»
as the basic is mapped onto stems of varying syllable count. As a result,
I argued above for an asymmetrical version of Short-V Harmony not
applicable to underlying fa...ae/ or other fa...L/ sequences. As a consequence, a
special, morphologically conditioned rule I call Leftward L-Spreading is
needed as the final step in the derivation (57) of -aexbabas-t.
Leftward L-Spreading also applies to superheavy stems, like the perfective
of 'sway' in (58).

/-axababa-t/

/-axbaba-t/

-aexbabae-t

after Melodic Association

Syncope

spreading rule (and other rules)

(58) gloss Sg Imprt VblN PerfP

'sway' nahaltattaw a-nhaltattaw -aenhseltaettaew-