Block 8 · pages 60-74
Chapter 3: Verb Derivation – Reciprocal, Middle, Passive, Reduplication, and Directionals
3.1.3.3 Reciprocal and Middle
The prefixes m(a)- (default), n(a)- (when root contains a labial /m, b, f/), and the doubled na-m(m)(a)- express reciprocal or middle meanings. y-initial verbs drop /y/ (e.g., yidyar > m-adyar 'adhere'). Songhay roots are suppleted by Tamasheq cognates (e.g., kay 'stand' > n-abdad 'stand together').
3.1.3.4 Passive t(a)-, tuw- and tuwa-
Three prefixes form the passive: t(a)- replaces /y/ of y-initial verbs (e.g., yibat > t-abat 'be snatched'); tuw- occurs mostly with suppletive roots (e.g., wi > tuw-anɣa 'be killed'); tuwa- appears before causativized stems (e.g., s-erkab > tuwa-s-erkab 'be pulled'). A few Songhay roots take passive morphology directly (e.g., fik > tuwa-fik 'be planted').
3.1.3.5 Reduplication
Reduplication indicates repeated action or intensification. Songhay roots reduplicate the initial CVC (e.g., ciday 'red' > cidicidi 'very red'). Tamasheq y-verbs drop /yV-/ and reduplicate the remaining CVC (e.g., yittol 'roll' > taltal 'roll up'). Derived stems can also be reduplicated (e.g., s-ayli > s-ayli-s-ayli 'make go around repeatedly').
3.1.3.6 Directional -kat and -an
The ventive suffix -kat indicates movement towards the speaker (glossed VEN), while the allative suffix -an indicates movement away (glossed ALL). They are frequent with motion verbs (e.g., yed-kat 'return here', koy-an 'go there') but also occur with non-motion verbs to mark perspective (e.g., yikti-kat 'remember'). Some verbs are rarely used without a directional (e.g., dinga-an 'forget').
Keywords : reciprocal middle passive reduplication directionals ventive allative suppletion
This grammar point in the works
Passages from the site’s works on this topic, with the page cited: the original text is authoritative.
-
… 3.1.3.1 Labile verbs (verb roots with variable valency) .54 3.1.3.2 Causative S(ə)- ................................................55 3.1.3.2.1 Causative with suppletion ............................56 3.1.3.2.2 Exceptions for sibilant choice.......................57 3.1.3.2.3 Double causative .........................................59 3.1.3.3 Reciprocal and Middle ......................................60 3.1.3.3.1 Lexical reciprocals .......................................6 …
Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 6
-
50 borey ga cere kar. person.PLDEF MAN friend hit the people hit each other. In Tadaksahak, however, the reciprocal is expressed with a nasal prefix as in Tamasheq. (2) yídɣǝr to be glued m-ǝdɣǝr to adhere to As with causatives, Songhay underived verbs may be paralleled by Tamasheq-based derived forms (sometimes a double middle prefix), e.g. (3) kár to hit nǝ-mm-aŋɣa to hit/kill each other For passive forms, Mainstream Songhay verbs take the same morpheme as for causative for …
Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 68
-
… take the morpheme in Tadaksahak. All roots that are cognates with Songhay are replaced with a Berber root with the same meaning, when causativized, changed to passive voice, or made reflexive or reciprocal. An appendix to the paper lists examples of both intransitive and transitive verbs using suppletion of the root when changed to causative and passive voice. 1. Introduction 1.1. Classification Pierre-Francis Lacroix was the first to mention Tadaksahak in literature, togeth …
-
… behaviour follows the pattern of Berber languages. Note also the similarity in shape of the different morphemes. Table 1. Tadaksahak: Voice changing morphemes Reciprocal/ Passive Causative Reflexive + verb root t(e)- S(V)- ne- tuw(a)- me- nem- Remarks: Passive: The use of the allomorphs is not predictable. However, all causative forms take tuw(a)-, and the “y-verbs” tend to take t(e)-. Causative: The morpheme S(V)- copies any sibilant present in the verb root. If there is no …