Das Verb in Mäsqan

Abstract

Proceeding from a review of W. Leslau's work on Mäsqan some special cases of the verbal classes are reconsidered. E.g., the rare class qǝyä ‘(a)wait’ is explained as a four-radical verb containing two weak radicals r and *laryngeal. In the same way, verbs of the D-stem, which are characterized by an unalterable o, e.g. sommänä ‘to fast’, turn out to be four-radical verbs with w as their second radical.

The most remarkable feature is the synchronous depalatalisation, which occurs e.g. in the negative perfect (an-tonna ‘he did not set himself down’) contrasting with the positive perfect (čonna) and in the imperfect contrasting with the jussive. This can be explained diachronically by palatalisation being a feature of the B-stem.

Another kind of ‘depalatalisation’ occurs in the 3^rd pers. plural forms of the perfect and the 3^rd and 2^nd pers. plural forms of the imperfect of the verbs III y, e.g. impf. yǝfäǧ ‘he completes’ but 3^rd plur. yǝfäddo. This is seen as resulting from a morphological compensatory rule affecting in the plural forms not only the original plural ending -u but also the last root radical (i.e., y).