Workshop on Templates Université Paris 8 May 27-28 2008

Template structure and vowel length in a Berber secret language (Tagnawt)

1 2 3 4 5 6

Mohamed LAHROUCHI CNRS-Université Paris 8 [email protected] Philippe SEGERAL Université Paris 7-CNRS [email protected]

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

[1] Schwa in Tashlhiyt Berber: Epenthetic (Coleman, 1996, 1999, 2001) or transitional vocoids (Dell & Elmedlaoui 2002, Ridouane 2003)? • Dell & Elemdlaoui (1985, 2002) argues that any segment, even a voiceless obstruent, may occur in the syllable nucleus in Tashlhiyt Berber. The short vowels that sometimes appear between consonants are mere transitional vocoids. (see also Ridouane 2003) • Coleman (1996, 1999, 2001) argues that the so-called transitional vocoids in Dell&Elemdlaoui’s analysis are actually epenthetic vowels that fill syllable nuclei that would otherwise be empty (e.g. akʌrkur blackbird, gɪnj sleep, jug Ʊl he hung) • Our proposal is not concerned with the syllabic status of these short vowels. Rather, we focus on their phonological representation. We show that they are the straightforward result of the association of one of the uncontroversial full vowels i, a, u to one skeletal position.

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

[2] On the basis of Lowenstamm 1991 (Ethio-Semitic / Arabic) and Bendjaballah 2001 (Kabyle Berber), we assume that in Tashlhiyt Berber: a. peripheral vowels are phonologically "long" (i. e. associated to two vocalic slots) (i.) b. any vocalic Element associated to one skeletal position surfaces as [ə] or ø 1, depending on the phonotactic conditions (ii.) i. ii. CVCV CVCV CVCV C V C V CV phonological \ / \ / \ / | | | A

I

U

[a]

[i]

[u]

A

I

U

29 30

i-ga i-fl iksudˤ ili ssu kk lal ggw sala su amzˤ azzl bbi ffi zuzzr kakl flufu sllil klulu bbrˤbrˤ ffrfr ħijjil izˤduj fruri isliw izwir wwarg skr mdˤuru nqqb

ajggatwatti ajffalwalli ajkkasdˤwasdˤ ajttalwalli ajssatwatti ajkkatwatti ajllalwalli ajggwawwawwi ajssalwalli ajssawwawwi ajttamzˤwamzˤ ajttazzlwazzl ajbbatwatti ajffatwatti ajzzazzrwazzr ajkkaklwakl ajffalwalf ajssalwalli ajkkwalwalli ajbbabrˤwabrˤ

he is he let be afraid be spread pass by be born wash be involved drink take run cut pour wear out pursue boil whiten be dazzled makes sounds as it cooks flap (wings) ajffafrwafr get ready for sth ajħħalwalli ajzˤzˤadwaddi be heavy pick grapes off ajffarwarri wilt ajssalwalli precede ajzzawrwawr ajwwargwarg dream do ajssakrwakr ajmmadˤrwadˤr feel better ajnnaqqbwaqb make a hole in

[ə]

15 16

[3] Evidence in correspondences between Classical Arabic (CA) and Tashlhiyt Berber (TB): CA TB ʒaahada saafara laaħaqa alkitaab albaħr tuffaaħ ʕukkaaz

ʒahd safr laħg lktab lbħr ttffaħ aʕkkaz

1

17 26

fight travel reach, pursue the book the sea apple crutch

[4] Tagnawt: a secret language spoken by women in Tashlhiyt Berber. Data from Douchaïna 19982 [gloses in English ours]: A lexically empty V position surfaces too as [ə] or ø under the same conditions.

32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

ʒgugl rfufn ggrml ħħntzˤ mmuʃtllu ffrttl smmʃʃtl wwnzr gʒdr kruʃʃm gruʒʒm ggrnunnz llʃtutm imzˤij anf nfi adˤn dˤni kl fl

ajʒʒagwlwagwl ajrrafnwafn ajggərmlwaml ajħħəntzˤwatzˤ ajmmaʃtwaʃt ajffattrwattr ajmmaʃʃtwaʃʃt ajwwanzwanz ajggaʒdwaʒd ajkkwaʃʃmwaʃʃm ajggwaʒmwaʒm ajggannzwannz ajlləʃtmwatm ajmmazˤwazˤzˤi ajttanfwanf ajnnafwaffi ajttadˤnwadˤn ajdˤdˤanwanni ajkkalwalli ajffalwalli

swing struggle be crusty kick out be improductive escape dwadle bleed (nose) moan be numb with cold be badly cooked have raging toothache crawl, creep be small avoid shelter be sick be fat spend the day let

zri ddu ʃʃ akwr sawl kkwrkwʃ kknkr ffrfdˤ ħlulli ʕlulu

ajzzarwarri ajddadwaddi ajʃʃatwatti ajttakwrwakwr ajssawlwawl ajkkwərkwʃwakwʃ ajkkənkrwakr ajffərfdˤwafdˤ ajħħalwalli ajʕʕalwalli

cross go eat steel speak make a slight noise be rough fidget fall swing

[5] Triconsonantal formations: iksudˤ ajkkasdˤwasdˤ 3 Derivation of Tagnawt from TB (informal description): a. delete affixes and vowels = keep only root consonants b. insert aj- (prefixed) and -wa- (infixed) c. geminate R1 d. reduplicate R2 and R3 e. vocalize the form invariably in a 3

phonetic

31

27 28 29 30 31 32 55

iksudˤ zuzzr kakl flufu izwir wwarg skr mdˤuru nqqb ʒgugl rfufn sawl

ajkkasdˤwasdˤ ajzzazzrwazzr ajkkaklwakl ajffalwalf ajzzawrwawr ajwwargwarg ajssakrwakr ajmmadˤrwadˤr ajnnaqqbwaqqb ajʒʒagwlwagwl ajrrafnwafn ajssawlwawl

be afraid wear out pursue boil precede dream do feel better make a hole in swing struggle speak

2

We correct in [4] five forms given in Douchaïna 98 in which some typographic mistakes probably occur, namely n°34: ħħntzˤ > ajħħəntzˤwatzˤ instead of ajħħətzˤwatzˤ (D98: 203); n°56: kkwrkwʃ > ajkkwərkwʃwakwʃ instead of ajkkfnkrwakr (D98: 208); n°57: kknkr > ajkkənkrwakr instead of ajkkfnkrwakr (D98: 208).

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Workshop on Templates Université Paris 8 May 27-28 2008

[6] Underlying glides: a. R3 = j - reduplicated /j/ surfaces as [i] - non-realization of j before w (of infixed -wa-) - reduplicated R2 is geminated 23 24 44 46 48 51 59

b. R3 = w

izˤduj fruri imzˤij nfi dˤni zri ħlulli

R1

isliw

22

ħijjil

ajssalwalli

R1

R3

R2

I

U

1 6

C

v C v C v

C

v

C

v C v C v C

v

C

8

v

13 14 52 53

A [8] Biconsonantal formations:

2

a. epenthesis of j as a third radical:

i-fl

60

10

R2 = w su

ajssawwawwi

drink

49 50

b. epenthesis of t as a first radical: 4 11 12 45 47 54

ili amzˤ azzl anf adˤn akwr

i-ga ssu kk ggw bbi ffi ddu ʃʃ

C

ajggatwatti ajssatwatti ajkkatwatti ajggwawwawwi ajbbatwatti ajffatwatti ajddadwaddi ajʃʃatwatti

R1

R1 R2 Ø —> R1 R2 j he let be born be involved whiten be dazzled spend the day let swing

19

v

v

C v C v

C

v

C

v

he is spread pass by wash cut pour go eat

ajffalwalli

ajffalwalli ajllalwalli ajssalwalli ajssalwalli ajkkwalwalli ajkkalwalli ajffalwalli ajʕʕalwalli

18

C

[12] Template: the same as in [7]

i-fl lal sala sllil klulu kl fl ʕlulu

9

v C v C v

[11] Monoconsonantal formations: i-ga ajggatwatti 1 Epenthesis of t as a second radical and j as a third radical: R1 Ø Ø —> R1 t j

R3

5

C v C v C v

j

[10] Gemination of R2 in case of R3 = j (lexical or epenthetic): induced by the non-realization of the glide j before w (cf. [6]) => a. the template is invariant b. the template must be filled

get ready for sth

R2

R2

A

[7] Template:

7

C

wilt

ajħħalwalli

j U

C v C v C v

- metathesis: j R3 —> R3 j (and then proceed as in a.)

2

R2

I

be heavy pick grapes off be small shelter be fat cross fall

- w > j (and then proceed as in a.)

25

c. R2 = j

ajzˤzˤadwaddi ajffarwarri ajmmazˤwazˤzˤi ajnnafwaffi ajdˤdˤanwanni ajzzarwarri ajħħalwalli

[9] Template: the same as in [7]

Ø R2 R3 —> t R2 R3

ajttalwalli ajttamzˤwamzˤ ajttazzlwazzl ajttanfwanf ajttadˤnwadˤn ajttakwrwakwr

be take run avoid be sick steel

t

j

t

I C v

C v

C v

j

U C

v

C v

C v

C

v

C

v

C v C v

C

v

C

v

A [13] Quadriconsonantal formations: gʒdr 39 a. one root consonant is dropped: i. R4: R1 R2 R3 R4 —> R1 R2 R3 R4 35 36 37

mmuʃtllu ffrttl smmʃʃtl

ajmmaʃtwaʃt ajffattrwattr ajmmaʃʃtwaʃʃt

ajggaʒdwaʒd

(R4 = l / r) be improductive escape dwadle

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Workshop on Templates Université Paris 8 May 27-28 2008

38 39

wwnzr gʒdr

ajwwanzwanz ajggaʒdwaʒd

bleed (nose) moan (R2 = r / rˤ) makes sounds as it cooks flap (wings) be numb with cold be badly cooked have raging toothache

ii. R2: R1 R2 R3 R4 —> R1 R2 R3 R4 20 21 40 41 42

bbrˤbrˤ ffrfr kruʃʃm gruʒʒm ggrnunnz

ajbbabrˤwabrˤ ajffafrwafr ajkkwaʃʃmwaʃʃm ajggwaʒmwaʒm ajggannzwannz

34 43 56 57 58

31

ʒgugl

ajʒʒagwlwagwl

swing

12 15

ajggərmlwaml ajħħəntzˤwatzˤ ajlləʃtmwatm ajkkwərkwʃwakwʃ ajkkənkrwakr ajffərfdˤwafdˤ

30 36

be crusty kick out crawl, creep make a slight noise be rough fidget

37

R1

R2

R3

R4

I

40 41 22

C

v

C

v

C

ajffattrwattr

escape

azzl zuzzr nqqb ffrttl smmʃʃtl kruʃʃm

ajttazzlwazzl ajzzazzrwazzr ajnnaqqbwaqqb ajffattrwattr ajmmaʃʃtwaʃʃt ajkkwaʃʃmwaʃʃm

run wear out make a hole in escape dwadle be numb with cold

gruʒʒm ħijjil

ajggwaʒmwaʒm ajħħalwalli

be badly cooked get ready for sth

and

R3

R4

U v C v

ffrttl

but,

[16] Interpretation: a. the template is NOT different: Tagnawt forms are all built upon the same template (the same analysis holds for another feminine secret language in TB, Taqjmit, see Lahrouchi & Ségéral, to appear) b. => the realization of A as [ə] in Tagnawt quadriconsonantal formations results from the maintained association of R2 to the template: the Element A that is associated to one skeletal slot can no longer surface as [a] but, according to [2b], as [ə]:

C

be badly cooked

36

[15] One crucial observation: forms in [14] are the only forms of the whole set of examples in [4] that display [ə] to the right of the geminated R1. All other forms invariably display a.

C v C v C v

ajggwaʒmwaʒm

• K u K —> Kw

b. One question: conservation of the geminated R2:

[14] Quadriconsonantals that remain quadriconsonantals in Tagnawt: ggrml ħħntzˤ llʃtutm kkwrkwʃ kknkr ffrfdˤ

gruʒʒm

ii. liquids: l > r in n°36 rather than metathesis? (Douchaïna fn.16 p. 209):

b. => template: the same as in [7]

33

41

v C v C v C

v C

A [ə]

v

42

ggrnunnz ajggannzwannz

have raging toothache

References: Bendjaballah, S. 2001. The Negative Preterit in Kabyle Berber. Folia Linguistica 34,3-4 : 185223. Coleman, J. S. 1996. Declarative Syllabification in Tashlhit Berber. In J. Durand & B. Laks (eds) : Current Trends in Phonology : Models and Methods. Vol. 1 : 177-218. Salford : European Stufies Research Institute, University of Salford. Coleman, J. S. 1999. The Nature of Vocoids Associated with Syllabic Consonants in Tashlhiyt Berber. In J. J. Ohala, Y. Hasegawa, M. Ohala, D. Granville and A. C. Bailey, eds. Proceedings of The XIVth International Congress of Phonetic Sciences. Vol. 1. 735-8 Coleman, J. S. 2001. The phonetics and phonology of Tashlhiyt Berber syllabic consonants. Transactions of the Philological Society 99, 29-64. Dell, F. & Elmedlaoui, M. 1985. Syllabic consonants and syllabification in Imdlawn Tashlhiyt Berber. Journal of African Languages and Linguistics 10: 1-17. Dell, F. & Elmedlaoui, M. 2002. Syllables in Tashlhiyt Berber and in Moroccan Arabic. Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht. Douchaïna, R. 1998. La morphologie du verbe en tagnawt. Etudes et documents berbères 15-16: 197-210. Lahrouchi, M. & Ph. Ségéral (to appear). Morphologie gabaritique et apophonie dans un langage secret féminin (taqjmit) en berbère tachelhit. Revue Canadienne de Linguistique. Lowenstamm, J. 1991. Vocalic length and centralization in two branches of Semitic. In Semitic Studies in Honor of Wolf Leslau on the Occasion of his 85th Birthday (2 vol.), A. S. Kaye (ed.) : II-949-965. Wiesbaden : Otto Harrassowitz. Ridouane, R. 2003. Suites de consonnes en berbère chleuh: phonétique et phonologie. Thèse de Doctorat, Université Paris III.

[17] Appendix: a. some minor phonological points: i. assimilation of epenthetic t when R1 = d (d t j —> d d j) (D98:207)? 52

ddu

ajddadwaddi

go

i. labio-velars: • K L u —> Kw (L) : 19 40

klulu kruʃʃm

ajkkwalwalli ajkkwaʃʃmwaʃʃm

be dazzled be numb with cold

3