Block 9 · pages 74-79
Chapter 3: Verb Inflection – Subject Clitics, MAN Markers, and Direct Object Clitics
3.1.4 Verb Inflection
The inflected verb forms a single verbal word consisting of: Subject clitic – MAN marker – Verb stem – (3rd person direct object clitic). Subject reference is obligatory regardless of an overt NP.
3.1.4.1 Subject clitic
Singular: ay(a)- (1s), ni-/an- (2s), a- (3s). Plural: ar(a)- (1p), and- (2p), i- (3p). The 1s clitic is ay- before CV-shaped MAN markers and aya- before C-shaped markers. The 2s clitic ni- resyllabifies to an- before sa- and ta-.
3.1.4.2 Mood-Aspect-Negation (MAN) morphemes
MAN markers are mutually exclusive. The perfective is unmarked (with gemination of the verb-initial consonant after vowels). Other markers:
- Imperfective: b- (default), f- (before voiceless consonants), ba- (before b-initial verbs).
- Subjunctive: m-
- Future: ta-
- Negative Imperfective: sa-
- Negative Perfective: na-
The imperfective marker assimilates in voicing. y-initial verbs lose /y/ before the single-consonant MAN markers b- and m- (e.g., a- bb- eeri 'he throws up').
3.1.4.3 Direct object clitic
1st and 2nd person object clitics do not affect the preceding verb form. The 3rd person clitics -a 'him/her/it' and -i 'them' cause a preceding closed syllable to open, revealing an underlying long vowel (e.g., a- dduut 'he pounded' vs. a- dduut-a 'he pounded it'). This indicates that ayay (1s.O), aari (1p.O), andi (2p.O) are less tightly bound to the verbal word, while nin (2s.O) begins with a consonant.
Keywords : verb inflection subject clitics MAN markers perfective imperfective subjunctive future negation object clitics
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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… RF-study 2s₌SUBJ-study 2s₌IMPERF-study 2s₌study The other clitics do not change their shape whatever the shape of the following MAN marker. 3.1.4.2 Mood-Aspect-Negation (MAN) morphemes The paradigm of MAN markers shows five morphemes, labeled as follows: imperfective (IMPERF) subjunctive (SUBJ) future (FUT) negative imperfective (NEG.IMPERF) negative perfective (NEG.PERF) These morphemes are mutually exclusive, and can never be combined. The perfective is unmarked; however, d …
Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 94
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… y cannot be combined. They are prefixed to the verb stem and are themselves preceded by a subject clitic. Different from Mainstream Songhay languages where the subjunctive has a unique form for negation, Tadaksahak has only two forms in the negative. The negative perfective is opposed to the negative imperfective, that is also used in the negation of subjunctive and future clauses. An opposition of ‘terminated’ and ‘not (yet) terminated’ seems to be the distinction. Only from …
Christiansen-Bolli (2010), A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Mali, p. 189
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… sa-strategy; COM comitative (‘with, and, toward’); DET determiner; DISC discourse marker ‘current centre of attention’; EXCL exclamation; FOC focus marker; FUT future tense; GEN genitive; IMP imperative; IMPF imperfective aspect; INDEF indefinite; LOC spatiotemporal locative; N noun; NEG negative; PASS passive; PERF perfective aspect; PL plural; QST polar question marker; REL relative pronoun; SUBJ subjunctive mood; T thematic pronoun; VEN venitive; 1P, 2P, 3P person plural; …
Christiansen & Levinsohn (2003), Relative Clauses in Tadaksahak, p. 3
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… al être verrouillé / verrouiller De même, l'élément aɣ- (sujet clitique à la première personne du singulier) est prononcé [ax] lorsqu'il précède un morphème de négation de l'aspect de l'humeur commençant par une consonne sans voix. Dévoisement de /ɣ/ à la rupture du morphème Morphèmes Sens en Fr Aɣ₌sǝ-wí Je ne tuerai pas 1Ps₌NEG.IMPERF-tuer Aɣ₌tǝ-wí Je vais tuer 1Ps₌FUT-tuer La négation perfective nǝ-, devant laquelle ɣ est retenu. Aɣ₌nǝ-wí Je n'ai pas tué 1s₌NEG.PERF-tuer Un …