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Tadaksahak grammar

Thirty-block summary of the reference grammar by Regula Christiansen-Bolli (Leiden University, 2010).

  1. 1 A Grammar of Tadaksahak – Introduction (pages 1-8)
  2. 2 Chapter 2: Phonological Structure – Syllable, Consonant Inventory, Contrasts, and Distributional Restrictions (Labials, Plosives) (pages 9-16)
  3. 3 Chapter 2: Consonants (continued) – Fricatives, Nasals, Liquids, Glides, and Consonant Clusters (pages 15-19)
  4. 4 Chapter 2: Vowels – Inventory, Contrasts, Realizations, and Distribution (pages 19-26)
  5. 5 Chapter 2: Sound Rules – Consonant Assimilation, Nasalization, Devoicing, Sibilant Harmony, Metathesis, and Morphophonological Lengthening (pages 26-32)
  6. 6 Chapter 2: Sound Rules (continued) – Vowel Shortening, Contractions, Resyllabification, and Stress (pages 32-48)
  7. 7 Chapter 3: Morphology – Verb Root Classes and Causative Derivation (pages 49-59)
  8. 8 Chapter 3: Verb Derivation – Reciprocal, Middle, Passive, Reduplication, and Directionals (pages 60-74)
  9. 9 Chapter 3: Verb Inflection – Subject Clitics, MAN Markers, and Direct Object Clitics (pages 74-79)
  10. 10 Chapter 3: Adverbs and Nouns – Basic Structure, Gender, and Diminutive (pages 79-87)
  11. 11 Chapter 3: Noun Plurals – Type 1 (Songhay/Arabic) and Introduction to Type 2 (Tamasheq Prefix) (pages 88-100)
  12. 12 Chapter 3: Type 2 Noun Plurals (continued) – Apophony, t(a)- Nouns, Special Plurals, and Double Plurals (pages 97-106)
  13. 13 Chapter 3: Nominalization – Verbal Nouns, Actor Nominalization, t-...-t Nominalization, and Compounding (pages 106-118)
  14. 14 Chapter 3: Personal Pronouns, Possessive Pronouns, and Adpositions (pages 118-134)
  15. 15 Chapter 3: Adjectives and Numerals (pages 134-142)
  16. 16 Chapter 4: Syntax – Noun Phrases, Possessors, Demonstratives, and the Determiner ayo (pages 143-158)
  17. 17 Chapter 4: NPs with Numerals, Quantifiers, Adjectives, and Postpositional Phrases (pages 158-169)
  18. 18 Chapter 4: NP Coordination and Uses of MAN Morphemes – Perfective, Imperfective, Subjunctive, Future (pages 169-176)
  19. 19 Chapter 4: Negation, Imperatives, and Argument Structure – Intransitives and Labile Verbs (pages 176-185)
  20. 20 Chapter 4: Argument Structure – Transitive Only Verbs, Verbal Noun Complements, Obligatory Adpositional Complements, and Dative Complements (pages 185-194)
  21. 21 Chapter 4: Argument Structure – Instrumental-Comitative, Two Complements, and Reflexive Constructions (pages 194-202)
  22. 22 Chapter 4: Clausal Complements – Verbal Nouns, Subjunctive, sa, and kud (pages 202-215)
  23. 23 Chapter 4: Copular Clauses – Equational, Presentative, Existential, Locational, and Possessive Predications (pages 215-225)
  24. 24 Chapter 4: Restrictive Relative Clauses – Subject, Object, Postpositional, Prepositional, and Generic Relativization (pages 226-234)
  25. 25 Chapter 4: Pronominal Relativization, Non-Restrictive Relatives with sa, and Negation Particles (pages 234-243)
  26. 26 Chapter 4: Negation Particles (continued) and Information Structure – Topicalization (pages 243-249)
  27. 27 Chapter 4: Focalization and Interrogatives (pages 249-268)
  28. 28 Chapter 4: Discourse Particles, Clause Coordination, Purpose and Causal Clauses (pages 263-272)
  29. 29 Chapter 4: Conditionals, Temporal Subordination, Spatial and Manner Adverbial Clauses (pages 272-284)
  30. 30 References, Appendices (Texts, Verb Lists, Wordlists, Morpheme Index), and Summaries (pages 285-357)

Points of comparison with Tuareg

Genitive. Tadaksahak uses the genitive marker n, absent from Southern Songhay; between two vowels it is doubled: borá nn áaɣil “a person’s right hand”. The order is the reverse of Tuareg (aɣil n-awadim).

Possession is expressed by the subject pronoun followed by n, placed before the noun: aɣ n barar “my son”, a n barar “his/her son”.

Pronouns. Unlike Tuareg, they do not mark gender: aɣ (I), ni (you), a (he, she), ar (we), andi (you, plural), i (they).

Numbers. 1 a-ffó and 2 hiŋká are of Songhay origin; from 3 on, the numerals are Berber: kaaṛáḍ (3), akkóz (4), ʃammúʃ (5).

Plural. The plural suffix can shorten the noun: barar “child” → barren, aru “man” → arwen.

Verbs. Many roots come from Tamasheq. Derivation uses prefixes, such as the causative s-: yíktǝb “to write” → s-ǝktǝb “to make write”.

Source : Ag Agouzoum, A., Hamadou, A. K. et Ag Abdoussalam, M. ; Ag Abdoussalam, M.