Block 11 · pages 88-100
Chapter 3: Noun Plurals – Type 1 (Songhay/Arabic) and Introduction to Type 2 (Tamasheq Prefix)
3.2.3 Plural
All nouns are marked for number. Unmarked forms are singular. Type 1 nouns (prefixless) have four subclasses. Type 2 nouns (with prefix) use the plural prefix i- plus suffixes and/or vowel changes.
3.2.3.1 Type 1 noun plurals
3.2.3.1.1 Class 1: -en/-an, -yen/-yan
This class consists of etymological Songhay nouns. The suffix -en is default; -an occurs when the stem contains /e/. Final vowels drop (borá > bor-én 'person/people'). Monosyllabic stems may shift stress to the suffix (caw > caaw-én 'call'). Velar stops often palatalize to /c, j/ before -en (farká > farc-én 'donkey'). A few items take -yen/-yan (bokaw > bakaw-yan 'jinn').
3.2.3.1.2 Class 2: -tan
Many vowel-final nouns and loans from languages other than Tamasheq or Arabic take -tan (allo > allo-tan 'food for journey'; bitigi > bitigi-tan 'shop' < French boutique).
3.2.3.1.3 Class 3: id-
This class consists mostly of Arabic loans that entered with the article al-/aC-. The plural prefix id- replaces the article (alwali > id-alwali 'saint'; assah > id-assah 'strength'). Stress shifts to the first syllable of the noun after the prefix.
3.2.3.1.4 Class 4: -an
A small number of Tamasheq cognates without a prefix add the suffix -an directly to the unchanged stem (taysa > tays-an 'sheep/goat'; aafol > aafol-an 'edge'). Some disyllabic stems resyllabify and shorten the initial vowel (eelaw > elw-an 'elephant').
3.2.3.2 Type 2 noun plurals
Type 2 nouns have a singular prefix a- (or e-/u-) replaced by the plural prefix i-. Plural formation involves combinations of prefix i-, suffixes (-an, -en, -in, -tan), and apophony (vowel pattern changes). The pattern /i- STEM-an/ is the most frequent. Suffix vowels vary based on stem vowels and syllable structure (e.g., a-naftay > i-naftay-an 'visitor'; a-trif > i-tarf-an 'wound').
Keywords : plural noun classes Songhay plural Arabic loans Tamasheq plural apophony prefix i- suffix -en suffix -tan prefix id-
This grammar point in the works
Passages from the site’s works on this topic, with the page cited: the original text is authoritative.
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102 is preserved. This leads to the plural forms kó-n and surgó-n respectively. Final /y/ is not dropped in all cases. Monosyllabic type 1 nouns do not drop it and some type 2 nouns use other strategies for plurals than the above described behavior. (90) Monosyllabic Songhay cognates with final /y/ singular plural zayén gloss swear (n) wáy waayén woman záy One item behaves like above Songhay cognates and adds a plural with /-en/ despite being of Tamasheq origin: áaṇay / áaṇay …
Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 120
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… 3.2.2.2 Natural gender..................................................84 3.2.2.3 Diminutive ........................................................86 3.2.3 Plural ......................................................................88 3.2.3.1 Type 1 noun plurals..........................................88 3.2.3.1.1 Class 1 : -en/-an, -yen/-yan ..........................88 3.2.3.1.2 Class 2: -tan ................................................91 3.2.3.1.3 Class 3: id-... …
Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 6
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… ion NP noun phrase REF reflexive CAU causative Q question particle TAM tense/aspect marker S DEF definite PASS passive TMP temporal particle GEN genitive PLDEF plural definite 1/2/3s 1st/2nd/3rd person singular LOC locative postposition REC reciprocal 1/2/3p 1st/2nd/3rd person plural N: noun 2Heath 1999:164.
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… tion.3 (7) Borey ga cere kar. Person.PLDEF TAM friend hit ‘The people hit each other.’ Compound reflexives are formed with the word “head” without definite and plural suffixes.4 (8) Faatuma nda Aysa ga (ngi boŋ) ©umay name and name TAM (3p.GEN head) wash ‘Faatuma and Aysa wash themselves.’ 2.2. Tamasheq 2.2.1. Conjugation Conjugation in Tamasheq is rather complex. The one example of the “past completed aspect” serves as an illustration for the whole system. The root consonant …