Muher and Masqan
By Wolf Leslau, Los Angeles
The Semitic' imperfect of the basic stem^ as represented by Arabic
has three patterns with respect to the vowel ofthe 2nd radical: (yajqtcd,
(yajqtul, (yajqtil; thus, yaSrabu 'he drinks', yaktubu 'he writes', yanzilu
'he descends'. In Hebrew, these patterns are: (yijqtal, (yijqtol, (yijqtel,
with the vowels a, o, e respectively; thus, yilmad 'he will study', yiSmor
'he will watch', yeSeb 'he will sit'. In the Ethiopian group, Geez (or clas¬
sical Ethiopic) has a single form for the imperfect, namely ydqättdl,^ but
for the jussive it has two patterns. These patterns are: ydqtäl corre¬
sponding to yaqtal of Semitic, and ydqtdl going back to Semitic yaqtul
and yaqtil, with the reduction ofthe short u and i of the 2nd radical to a.
The Geez jussive yaqtäl goes back to the perfect qätlä* whereas the
jussive ydqtdl goes back to a perfect qätälä; thus, perfect läbsä'he put on
a dress', juss. yalbäs; perfect nägärä, juss. ydtigar}
' Abbreviations: Dillmann = A. Dillmann: Ethiopic grammar. Transi. by
J. M. Crichton. London 1907; Endegen = W. Leslau: The triradicals in the
Gurage dialect of Endegefi. In: Israel Oriental Studies 6 (1976), 138—154; Eza =
W. Leslau: The jussive in Eza. In: JSS 12 (1967), 66-82; Gourague = W.
Leslau: Le type läbsä en gourague. In: Rassegna di studi etiopici 10 (1951),
85—98; KWK = Kidanä Wäld Kefle and Keflä Giyorgis: Mäshafä
säwasaw wägis wämäzgäbä qalat haddis. Addis Ababa 1948 (= 1955). Geez-
Amharic dictionary.
G. = Geez; M. = Muher; Ms. = Masqan; juss. - Jussive.
^ The basic stem is known in Arabic as 1 st form; in Hebrew as qal; in Ethiopic as type A.
' Note that the syllabic structure of yaqdttdl is different from that of Arabic and Hebrew. In South Ethiopic the imperfect is yaqätal, with a non-geminated 2nd radical.
For an attempt to describe this class and for the bibliography see Gouragui 97-98.
' In Arabic the three forms ofthe perfect are: qatala, qatila, qatula; in Hebrew, the forms are: gated, qatel, qätol. The correlation between the vocalization ofthe
perfect and imperfect in Arabic and in Hebrew, however, is not regular.
Heretofore no other Ethiopian language was known to have two
different patterns in the jussive. In my investigation of the Gurage
dialects I came across three different patterns of the jussive in Caha,
Ennemor, and Endegeft, the patterns being yäqtäl, yäqtdl, yäqdtl.'' The
pattem yäqtäl is, as a mle, formed from intransitive verbs and verbs of
quality whereas the patterns yäqtal and yäqatl are formed from transi¬
tive verbs.*" The last two patterns are differentiated'by the syllabic
stmcture. For the reasons of the different syllabic stmctures, see
Rassegna di studi etiopici 9 (1951), 85-98 (for Öaha and Ennemor);
Language 40 (1964), 53-57 (for Caha); Israel Oriental studies 6 (1976),
147-149 (for Endegeft). The Gurage dialect of Eza has five different
pattems for the jussive, namely yäqtäl, yäqMäl, yäqtäl, yäqatl, and
yäqattdl. Here again yäqtäl (yäqattäl) is the pattern of intransitive verbs
whereas yäqtäl, yäqatl [yäqattat) are pattems of transitive verbs. For the
reasons of the chfferent stmctures, and particularly for the gemination
of the 2nd radical, see JSS 12 (1967), 66-82. Note that in the perfect,
the dialects mentioned above have only one pattern,' contrarily to what
happens in Geez.*
The present study deals with Muher and Masqan. These two dialects
have three patterns: yäqtäl, yäqtal, and yäqatl. As in the other Gurage
dialects mentioned above, yäqtäl is, as a mle, formed from intransitive
verbs whereas yäqtal and yäqatl are formed from transitive verbs. It
should be pointed out that while most of the verbs have only one
pattem, some verbs have two pattems in the same dialect or one
pattem in one dialect and another pattern in another dialect. There are
also verbs for which one would expect a specific pattern for the jussive,
and yet they form their jussive by using another pattem. This variety
and differentiation may be due to the verb's going over from one jussive
pattem into another as a result of a levelling-off process.
The same situation also occurs in Geez as summed up by Dillmann,
p. 177, n. 3.
' Note that in the jussive the vowel of the prefix is ä only with the consonantal prefix y; with the other consonant prefixes, the vowel is s {taqtät). Besides, for the future that can be expressed Caha and Eza by the jussive followed by Sä the vowel of the prefix is a; thus Eza yabäddar-Sä 'he will be first'.
It is possible that Geez hkewise had a jussive yaqtal and yaqatl depending on the nature ofthe last two consonants, but the "traditional" pronunciation uses only yaqtal. This single pattern could have come about by a leveling-off process
by which the pattems yaqtal and yaqatl have become yaqtal.^
' For the form of the perfect, see EndegeH 138—9.
* This section, with minor changes, is taken from Eza 66—7.
1. Transitive perfect: transitive jussive i
2. Intransitive perfect: intransitive jussive J ^
3. Intransitive perfect: transitive and intransitive jussive
4. Transitive and intransitive perfect: transitive and intransitive
jussive
5. Transitive and intransitive perfect: intransitive jussive
6. Intransitive perfect: transitive jussive
7. Transitive perfect: intransitive jussive
1. Pattern yäqtäl
The jussive pattern yäqtäl is, as a rule, formed from intransitive verbs
or from verbs of state and quality.
1.1. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which a Geez jussive
ydqtäl is likewise attested:' qärräbä (M)'° 'be near', G. qärbä (rarely
qäräbä), juss. yaqräb; wärrädä (Ms) 'go down', G. wärädä, juss. yaräd;
wättäqä (M.Ms.) 'fall', G. wädqä (rarely wädäqä), juss. yaddq.
1 .2. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which a Geez root is
attested but no jussive form: fättänä (M) 'be fast', G. fätänä,^^ jussive
yajtm in KWK; näffärä (M) 'be very hot', G. näfärä; näffäsä (M) 'blow
(wind)', G. näfsä, KWK also näfäsä, juss. yanps; qällälä (M) 'be light',
G. qälälä, KWK has qällä, juss. yaqlal; qättänä (Ms) 'be thin', G. of
Dillmann only in the a-stem as 'aqtänä, KWK has qätänä, juss.
yaqtan; säggärä (Ms) 'amble', G. sägärä, KWK has sägrä, juss. yasgär;
sämmätä (M) 'dive', G. only in the a-stem as 'astämä, KWK has sätmä,
juss. yastäm.
1.3. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which Geez has a
jussive yaqtal: bäddärä(M) 'advance', G. bädürä, yabdar; bässälä (Ms) 'be
cooked', G. bäsälä, yabsal; gärrämä (Ms) 'be amazing', G. gärämä,
y agram; säggädä (M.Ms) 'prostrate oneself, G. sägädä, yasgad; zännäbä
(M.Ms) 'rain', G. zänmä, zänämä, juss. yaznam.
1.4. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which Geez has the
jussive yaqtäl and yaqtal: äräkkäsä (M) 'be impure', G. räk^sä, juss.
yark^'as, yark^as (KWK has only yark^äs); bäqqälä (Ms) 'germinate', G.
An attested or a non-attested Geez root is based on A. Dillmann: Lexicon
linguae aethiopicae. Lipsiae 1865. However, KWK records occasionally a perfect
or a jussive form not attested in Dillmann; these forms will be given here and
marked as coming from KWK.
The perfect in Muher has a final -m (qärräbäm), but for the sake of conven¬
ience it will be quoted without final -m.
'' In principle one would expect for these verbs in Geez the form qätlä.
bäq^'älä, bäq^''lä, juss. y3bq"'äl, yabq^'al (KWK has bäqqälä, yabq^dV);
däffärä (M) 'be bold','^ G. däfärä, juss. yadfär, yadfar (KWK has only
yddfdr); märrärä (M) 'be bitter', G. märärä, märrä, juss. yamrär, yarnnr
(KWK has only yamrar); näddädä (M) 'burn', G. nädädä, näddä, juss.
yandäd, yandad (KWK has only yandad); näggäsä (M.Ms) 'reign', G.
nägsä, juss. yangäs, yangas (KWK has nägäsä, nägsä, jussive only
yangas); qäbbätä{M) 'lack, miss',''G. qähäsä, juss. yaqbäs, i/aq'ös,?(KWK
has qäbsä, yaqbä^); säkkärä (M) 'be drunk',''' G. säkärä, juss. yaskär,
yaskar (KWK has säkrä, yaskar); tärräfä (M) 'remain', G. täräfä, tärfä,
juss. yaträf, yatraf (KWK has only yatraf).
1.5. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which there is no
Geez equivalent: bällätä (M.Ms) 'cheat'," originally 'exceed, be
superior'; bärrärä(M) 'fly' (KWK has bärärä, but no jussive) ; dämmäqä
(Ms) 'be beautiful'; därräsä (M) 'sing and dance';" fäkkänä (M)
'multiply'; fäqqärä (M.Ms) 'be fat'; färräxä (M) 'be patient';" fäzzäzä
(M) 'be feeble'; gälläfä (M) 'be long';"* gärräzä (Ms) 'be old'; kässärä
(M.Ms) 'lose in business';" nättärä (M) 'be melted' (KWK has näträ,
nätärä, juss. y anter); tännänä (M) 'smoke' (KWK has tännä, yatnan);
tämmämä (M) 'be crooked'; tärräqä (M.Ms) 'be dry'.
1.6. Transitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which Geez has like¬
wise a jussive yaqtäl: läbbäsä (M) 'dress, put on a dress', G. iäösä,^" juss.
yalbäs; wärräsä (M) 'inherit',^' G. wäräsä, juss. yards (for yawräs).
1.7. Transitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which Geez has a
jussive yaqtal: Jäqqädä (M) 'permit',G. fäqädä, yafqad; käffälä (Ms)
'pay', G. käfälä, yakfal; särräqä (M) ' steal',G. säräqä, yasraq; täbbäsä
(M) 'fry', G. täbäsä, yatbas.
1.8. Transitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which Geez has a
jussive yaqtal and yaqtal: äräkkäbä (M) 'find', G. räkäbä, juss. yarkab,
yarkäb; wäqqärä (M) 'hew stones',^'' G. wäqärä, juss. yawqar, yaqär
(KWK has only yaqär).
1.9. Transitive verbs with the jussive yäqtäl for which there is no
In Masqan the jussive is yädfar (3.3).
" Ms. yäqbM (3.3). '" Ms. yäsakr (2.4). '' Ms. yähhl (3.4).
Ms. yädns (3.2). " Ms. yäjrah (3.4). Ms. yäghf{S.4).
" I did not record a geminated jussive in Masqan in verbs with final r contra¬
rily to R. Hktzkon: TTre Gnnnän-Gvmgc languages. Napoli 1977, who quotes
"Ezha-Masqan mässärä (per(ect)-y3mäsar {impeTfect)-yäm,)ssär (jussive) 'seem, resemble' (p. 70) ". The geminated jussive occurs only in Eica in these conditions.
^° Note the "intransitive" form läbsä of the Geez perfect.
^' Ms. yäwars (2.2). " Ms. yäfaqd (2.2). " Ms. yasraq (3.2).
Ms. yawqar (3.1).
Geez equivalent: fälläqä (M) 'spit out milk (child)'; färrämä (M.Ms)
'break bread'; gäddädä (M) 'make a hole'; gärräfä (M) 'lash'" (KWK
has gäräfä, ydgraf); läqqämä {M .Ms) 'pickup';^* märrätä {Ms) 'castrate a
man' (KWK has märätä without reference); qämmäsä (M) 'taste';^'
qärräfä (M) 'hit with a stick'; iväddädä (M) 'love'^* (KWK has wädädä,
wäddä, juss. yadäd, without reference); wättärä (M) 'distend hide'^'
(KWK has wätärä, yatär); zärräfä (M.Ms) 'pillage' (KWK has zäräfä,
ydzraf).
Patterns yäqdll, yäqtal
The transitive verbs have as a rule have a jussive yäqatl and yäqtal
depending on the last radical or on the two final radicals and their
clustering possibilities. The pattem yäqatl is the jussive of verbs whose
two final consonants can be clustered, while the pattem yäqtal is the
jussive of verbs whose two final consonants cannot be clustered and are
disjoined by the vowel a. In fact, however, many of the verbs can have
both pattems in the same dialect or one pattem in one dialect and
another pattern in another dialect. Besides, it is not easy to arrive at a
reasonable conclusion conceming the nature of the last two consonants
that would allow clustering or non-clustering. As is also the case in
Geez, the pattems yäqatl and yäqtal can also be formed from intransitive
verbs.
2. Pattern yäqatl
The Muher verbs of the type 1.2.2 have the pattem yäqatl. This
pattem is also used for verbs with last radical I. However, in view ofthe
alternance of the pattems either in the same dialect or in one dialect in
relation to another I present the tables given below without attempting
a detailed analysis.
The letters across the top denote the last radical; letters down the
side denote the penult radicals.
The symbol -I- indicates verbs that have the pattem yäqatl; the symbol
o indicates verbs that have the pattem yäqatl and yäqtal.
2.1. The verbs given below are arranged according to the last two
radicals. According to one of my Muher infomiants most of the verbs
with the yäqatl pattem can have a yäqtal pattem.
2.2. Transitive verbs with a yäqatl pattem for which Geez has a yäqtal
pattem: xäbbäbä (M) 'surround', G. käbäbä, yakbab; täbbäta (M) 'seize,
" Ms. yägnf{3.1). " Ms. yälaqm (2.3).
" Ms. yäqmas (3.2). Ms. yäwadd (2.3). " Ms. yäwtar (3.1).
Table I. Pattern yäqatl
b / m d t t g k h X q s z l n r
b + 0 + O
f + o
m o
d o +
t o + O
t o
g O
k + o o
h X
Q O + + + +
,s +
Z
l O o o
n +
r + o + o + +
hold'.^^G. däbätä, yadbat; qäbbärä{M) 'bury','' G. qäbärä, t/a^ftar (rarely
yaqbär); säbbärä (Ms) 'break'," G. säbärä, yasbar; gämmätä (M) 'chew
off,'' G. gämäsä, yagma^ (only in KWK) ; näddäjä (M) 'sting', G. nädäfä,
yandaf; gäddäfä (M) 'break the fast', G. gädäfä, yag daf (rarely yagdäf);
säddädä (M) 'chase away', G. sädädä, yasdad; qättärä (Ms) 'kill', G.
qätälä, yaqtal; näkkasä (M) 'bite',''' G. näsäkä, yansak; fäqqädä (Ms)
'permit'," G. fäqädä, yafqad; wäqqäsä (Ms) 'reproach, reprimand', G.
wäqäsä, yawqas, yawqäs; näqqälä (Ms) 'dig out', G. näqälä, yanqal;
mällätä (M) 'bark a tree'," G. mälätä, no jussive attested; tärräsä (M)
'° Ms. ydtb9t(S.l). " Ms. ydqhar (3.1). " M. ydsb.n (3.\).
" Ms. ydgmat (3.1). '" Ms. ydnkds (3.1). " M. yäfqäd (1.7).
" Ms. ydmldt (3.1).
'break off a piece', G. täräsä (KWK has the jussive yatras); wärräsä (Ms) 'inherit','' G. wäräsä, yaräs.
2.3. Transitive verbs with the jussive yäqatl without a Geez equiva¬
lent: qäffäfä (M) 'cut the edge'; käffätä (M.Ms) 'open','* juss. yäkaft,
yäkfat; wäddädä (Ms) 'love';" kättäfä (M) 'hash meat';'"^ läggädä (M)
'touch';'" zäggädä (M) 'remember'; säkkäkä (M) 'drive a peg into the
ground'; täkkäsä (M) 'kindle'; läqqämä (Ms) 'pick up';"*^ wäqqätä (Ms)
'crush, pound'; läqqäqä (M) 'take apart'; kässäsä (M) 'accuse'; qälläbä
(M) 'catch';'" tälläqä (M) 'draw water from a container';'*'' zännäfä (M)
'hit'; qärrämä (M) 'insult'; qärrätä (M) 'levy dues';'" därrägä (M)
'strike'; bärräsä (M) 'destroy'; qärräsä (M) 'begin';'*' tärrärä (M) 'cut
into small pieces'.
2.4. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqatl for which Geez has the
root but not always the jussive: qäbbälä (Ms) 'decrease', G. qäblä,
without jussive; säkkärä (Ms) 'be drunk',"' G. säkärä, juss. yaskar,
yaskär, täqqäsä (M.Ms) 'nod', G. täqäsä, without jussive.
2.5. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqatl without Geez equiva¬
lent: nättärä (Ms) 'bleed from the nose', täqqälä (Ms) 'be better'.
3. Pattern yäqtal
As was the case wdth the pattem yäqatl, I present here the table given
below wdthout attempting a detailed analysis. Note that the final velar q
prevents final clustering. For the verbs ending in any other consonant
there is no clear-cut situation.
The symbol -I- indicates verbs that have the pattern yäqtal; the symbol
o indicates verbs that have the pattem yäqtal and yäqatl.
3.1. Transitive verbs with the jussive yäqtal for which a Geez jussive
yaqtal is attested: täbbätä (Ms) 'seize, hold','** G. däbätä;'*'' qäbbärä (Ms) 'bury', G. qäbärä;^° säbbärä (M) 'break'," G. säbärä; näffäqä (Ms) 'break
off a branch', G. näfäqä; säffärä (M.Ms) 'measure', G. säfärä; dämmädä
(Ms) 'to yoke', G. dämädä; gämmätä (Ms) 'chew off,'^ G. gämäsä;
xäddänä (M) 'thatch a house', G. kädänä 'cover'; bättäxä (M) 'pull out'.
" M. yawrds (1.6). M. also yäkfat (3.2).
" M. 2/äw(Zäd (1.9). Ms. 2/öto/(3.2). Ms. j/ä/j^arf (3.2).
"2 M. ydlqdm (1.9). "' Ms. ydqlab (3.1). Ms. ydtlaq (3.2).
Ms. ydqral (3.2). Ms. ydqras (3.2). "' M. yäskär (1.4).
"* M. ydtabt (2.2).
"'' The jussive will not be given for the Geez verbs of this section unless it is different from yaqtal.
Ms. ydqabr (2.2). Ms. yds ahr (2.2). " M. ydqatnt (2.2).
Table IL Pattern yäqtal
b f rn d t / 9 k h X q s 2 l n r
b o + + O
f o + +
m + o +
d + o +
t o + + o
t + + o
9 O
k O o
h X
q O
s z
l O + o o
n
r + + o + + o +
G. bätäkä; wättärä (M) 'distend hide''' (KWK has a jussive yatär);
fättämä (M) 'block up a hole', G. fädämä; fättärä (M) 'create', G. fätarä;
näkkäsä (Ms) 'bite',''' G, näsäkä; mäkkärä (Ms) 'advise', G. mäkärä;
wäqqärä (Ms) 'chip stones'," G. wäqärä, juss. yawqar, yaqär; qälläbä
(Ms) 'catch', G. qäläbä (KWK); gällätä, (Ms) 'expose', G. gäläsä; fällätä
(Ms) 'have a headache', the verb being used impersonally from the
original meaning 'split', G. fälätä; mällätä (Ms) 'strip off," G. mälätä
(no jussive attested); gärräfä (Ms) 'lash'," G. gäräfä (KWK); särräqä
(Ms) 'steal','* G. säräqä; qälläbä (Ms) 'catch'," G. qäläbä (KWK).
" M. also yäwtär{\.d). ^* M. ydnaks (2.2). " M. yäwqär (1.8).
" M. ydmalt (2.2). " M. yägräf (1.9). M. yäsräq (1.7).
" M. ydqalb (2.3).
3.2. Transitive verbs with the jussive yäqtal without a Geez equiva¬
lent: käffätä (Ms) 'open';*" gäffärä (MMs) 'abandon, release'; qämmäsä
(Ms) 'taste';*' säddäbä(Ms) 'insult'; kättäfä (Ms) 'hash meat';*^ nättäqä
(Ms) 'snatch away'; läggädä (Ms) 'touch';*' täqqämä (M) 'profit, be
usefiil'; tälläfä (Ms) 'rope an animal to kill it'; halläqä (Ms) 'create';
tälläqä (Ms) 'draw from a container with a ladle' ;*''/ärrä(iä (Ms) 'judge';
gärrätä (Ms) 'despise';*' qärrätä (Ms) 'levy dues'; qärräsä (Ms)
'begin';** därräsä (Ms) 'sing and dance'.*'
3.3. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqtal with a Geez equivalent:
qäbhätä (Ms) 'lack, miss',**G. qäbäsä, jnss. yaqbäs, yaqbas; täbbäqä(Ms)
'be firm', G. täbäqä, juss. yatbaq (in KWK); däffärä (Ms) 'be bold',*' G.
däfärä, jUss. yadfär, yadfar; bärrädä(Ms) 'becold', G. 6ärädä, juss. yabrad
(in KWK).
3.4. Intransitive verbs with the jussive yäqtal without Geez equiva¬
lent: gälläfä (Ms) 'be long';'" bällätä (Ms) 'be superior, exceed';" zälläqä
(Ms) 'penetrate'; färrähä (Ms) 'be patient'.'^
Jussive of verbs with vocalic initial
4. Pattern yätäl
4.1. The verbs with initial a go back to an initial ' ' hh and h, conso¬
nants that have become zero in Muher and Masqan. The intransitive
verbs of this class have the jussive yätäl. Examples: addärä (M.Ms)
'spend the night', juss. yädär(G. hadärä, yahadar); alläfä(M) 'pass', juss.
yäläf^ (G. fudäfä, yahalaf); annäsä (M) 'be little', juss. yänäs''* (G.
na'asä); azzänä (M) 'be sad', juss. yäzän (G. hazänä, yahzän). For the
intransitive verbs of Masqan having the jussive yäti, yättal, see 5.2; 6.2.
4.2. An interesting case is attärä (M) 'be short' (G. hasärä, yahasar)
whose jussive is yättär, with the geminated 2nd radical. It reminds one
of the Eza jussive yaqattdl in verbs in which the last radical is the liquid
r."
5. Pattern yäti
5.1. The transitive verbs have the jussive yäti or yättal. The pattern
yäti is the jussive of transitive verbs whose penult is the liquid n, r.'*
60
M. Ms. yäkaft (2.3). M. yägmäs (1.9).
" M. yäk3tf{2.3). " M. yäbgd (2.3). M. yätalq (2.3).
" M. yäqart (2.3). '''' M. yäqars (2.3). M. yädräs (1.5).
*" M. yäqbät (1.4). M. yädfär (X.A). '" M. yägläf (1.5).
" M. yäblät (1.5). '^ M. yäfräx (1.5). " M. yälf (5.2).
'" M. yäm (5.2). " See Eza 2.1.1.
For alläbä (M.Ms) 'to milk' I recorded yälhb.
76
Thus, annäqä (Ms) 'strangle', juss. yäng (G. hanäqä, yahanaq); arrädä
(Ms) 'slaughter', juss. yärd (G. harädä, yahmd); arräsä (Ms) 'plough',
juss. yärs (G. haräsä, ydharas); arrätä (M.Ms) 'cut', juss. yärt (G. haräsä,
ydharBß) .
5.2. Intransitive verbs in Masqan with the jussive yäti are: annäsä
'be little', juss. yäns'^ (G. na'asä); alläfä 'pass', juss. yälf^ (G. haläfä,
ydhaldß; alläqä 'be finished', juss. yälq (G. halqä, juss. yahahq, y ahläq).
6. Pattern yättal
6.1. The jussive pattem is yättal (with gemination ofthe 2nd radical)
in the transitive verbs whose penult radical is not n, r. Thus, addädä
(M.Ms) 'mow grass', juss. yäddad''' (G. 'adädä, ya'adad); addägä (M.Ms)
'throw away', juss. ydddag (G. hadägä, yahadag) ; affäsä (M.Ms) 'scoop up
a large quantity of grain', juss. yäffas (G. hafäsä, no jussive attested);
affätä (Ms) 'scratch when it itches', juss. yäffat; aggädä (M.Ms) 'bind,
tie', juss. yäggad (G. 'aqädä, no jussive attested); aggämä (M.Ms) 'to
cup', juss. ydggam; aggäzä (Ms) 'help', juss. yäggaz; atiähä (M.Ms)
'wash', juss. ydttab (G. hadäbä, yahadab); attänä (M.Ms) 'to perfume',
juss. yättan{G. 'atänä, ya'atan); attärä (M) 'make a fence', juss. yättär (G.
hasärä, yahasar). Note alläbä 'to milk' (G. haläbä, yahalab), juss. yällab,
against an expected yälb.
6.2. Intransitive verbs in Masqan with the jussive yättal; addäfä 'be
dirty', juss. yäddaf; attärä 'be short', juss. yättär (G. hadärä, yaha§ar).^^
7. Hypothesis on the gemination of the jussive
As it can be seen from the preceding analysis, the gemination or the
non-gemination of the 2nd radical occurs only in verbs with initial a-. A
jussive pattem with a final cluster has no gemination [yärd) while a
jussive pattem without final cluster, that is, with a vowel a between the
2nd and the 3rd radical, has gemination (yäddag). The situation is the
same in Eza yärb, but yättab.^^
" M. yävm (4.1). M. yäläf (4.\).
" These verbs are of type A. Type B in Masqan has the form errämä, jussive yemm.
'° For the Eia jussive yäti of verbs with penult r and for yättal of all the other verbs, see Eza 6.2; 8.2.
Note that while in Eia, the geminated jussive is conditioned by a final r, this is not the case in verbs with initial a (see Eza 8.1; 8.2).
The Jussive in Muher and Masqan 95
The gemination of the 2nd radical does not occur in the imperfect of
Eza regardless of whether there is final clustering (as in yarh) or
whether there is no final clustering (as in yatab). In the imperfect of
Muher there is no question of final clustering since its form is yagdu,
with final -u. As for Masqan, I unfortunately recorded the imperfect of
the a-verbs of one verb only, namely yagd with final clustering, and
consequently, no gemination of the 2nd radical. It is quite possible that
all the verbs with initial a have the imperfect yaC^ Cj.^''' Also, if one has
to judge on the basis of Eza where gemination occurs only in the jussive
in certain phonetic conditions {yägaffar) and not in the imperfect in the
same phonetic conditions [ydgäpr),^^ there is strong likelihood that the
imperfect of Masqan has no gemination.
Needless to say, in a jussive pattern such as yard, that is, a pattern
with a final consonant cluster, the 2nd radical cannot be geminated
since a geminated 2nd radical in this situation would bring about a final
cluster of three consonants, a feature that does not occur in Ethiopic. As
for the pattem *yäg3d, a form such as yäggad, with geminated 2nd
radical, is easily accepted on phonetic grounds.
While the gemination of the 2nd radical is in principle possible on
phonetic grounds, one has to look for the reason of the gemination. In
other words, what brought about the gemination ofthe 2nd radical? It is
possible that the gemination is due to the tendency of compensating
for the loss ofthe 1st radical so as to give the jussive ofthe a-verbs the
shape of the jussive of an original triradical.
If this is the case, one still has to answer the question of why does
gemination occur in the jussive and not in the imperfect? There are two
possible answers to this question. First, the vocalic stmctures of the
imperfect and jussive are not exactly the same. Indeed, the imperfect of
a dialect such as Eza is yatab (coming from *ya''atab) whereas the jussive
is *yätab (coming from *ya''atab), that is, the vowel is a before the
original 2nd radical t in the imperfect and it is ä before the original 2nd
radical t in the jussive. Possibly the low-back vowel a of yatab does not
necessitate the lengthening ofthe consonant in order to give the imper¬
fect the shape of an original triradical whereas the higher-low central
vowel ä of *yätab does necessitate the lengthening of the t for the
reasons mentioned above.
If, however, the vowel ä of the jussive is not likely to explain the gemi¬
nation of the consonant, there still remains the principle of giving the
C = Consonant.
This occurs only in the imperfect of type A since in type B the 2nd radical is always geminated.
I
jussive of a-verbs the shape of an original triradical. My present think¬
ing for this principle being applied to the jussive and not to the imper¬
fect is that the syllabic structure of the Ethiopic jussive {yaqtal) may
possibly be the original form ofthe Ethiopic imperfect and that the form
yaqät(t)al is a secondary development. The principle of geminating the
2nd radical in certain phonetic conditions would then apply to the
original form yaqtal and not to the secondary form yaqät(t)al. This hypo¬
thesis should not exclude the possibility that at a later stage the second¬
ary form *yaqätal as represented in South Ethiopic likewise underwent
changes for phonetic reasons and became yaqättal in North Ethiopic.*'' I
wish to emphasize, however, that the hypothesis of yaqtal as being the
original form of the Ethiopic imperfect requires more investigation.
Index
addädä (M.Ms) 'mow grass' (6.1)
addäfä (Ms) 'be dirty' (6.2)
addägä (M.Ms) 'throw away' (6.1)
addärä (M.Ms) 'spend the night' (4.1) affäsä (M.Ms) 'scoop a large quantity
of grain' (6.1)
affätä (Ms) 'scratch when it itches' (6.1)
aggädä (M.Ms.) 'bind' (6.1) aggämä (M.Ms) 'to cup' (6.1) aggäzä (Ms) 'help' (6.1) alläbä (M.Ms) 'to milk' (6.1) alläfä (M.Ms) 'pass' (4.1; 5.2) alläqä (Ms) 'be ended' (5.2) annäqä (Ms) 'strangle' (5.1) annäsä (M.Ms) 'be little' (4.1; 5.2) arrädä (Ms) 'slaughter' (5.1) äräkkäbä (M) 'find' (1.8) äräkkäsä (M) 'be impure' (1.4) arräsä (Ms) 'plough' (5.1) arrätä (M.Ms) 'cut' (5.1) attäbä (M.Ms) 'wash' (6.1) attänä (M.Ms) 'perfume' (6.1) attärä (M) 'make a fence' (6.1) attärä (M.Ms) 'be short' (4.2; 6.2) azzänä (M) 'be sad' (4.1)
bäddarä (M) 'advance' (1.3) bällätä (M.Ms) 'exceed' (1.5; 3.4)
bäqqälä (Ms) 'germinate' (1.4) bärrädä (Ms) 'be cold' (3.3) bärrärä (M) 'fly' (1.5) bärräsä (M) 'destroy' (2.3) bässälä (Ms) 'be cooked' (1.3) bättäxä (M) 'pull out' (3.1) däffärä (M.Ms) 'be bold' (1.4; 3.3)
dämmädä (M.Ms) 'yoke' (3.1)
dämmäqä (Ms) 'be beautiful' (1.5)
därrägä (M) 'strike' (2.3)
därräsä (M.Ms) 'sing and dance' (1.5;
3.2)
fäkkänä (}A) 'multiply' (1.5) fälläqä (M) 'spit out milk' (1.9) fällätä (Ms) 'have a headache' (3.1) fäqqädä (M.Ms) 'permit' (1.7; 2.2) fäqqärä (M.Ms) 'be fat' (1.5) färrädä (Ms) 'judge' (3.2)
färräxä, färrähä (M.Ms) 'be patient' (1.5; 3.4)
färrämä (M.Ms) 'break bread' (1.9)
fättämä (M) 'block up a hole' (3.1) fättänä (M) 'be fast' (1.2)
fättärä (M) 'create' (3.1) fäzzäzä (M) 'be feeble' (1.5)
gäddädä (M) 'make a hole' (1.9)
gäddäfä (M) 'break the fast' (2.2) gäffärä (M.Ms) 'abandon' (3.2) W. Leslau: The Geez imperfect again. In: Proceedings of the twenty-seventh Intemational Congress of Orientalists. 1971, pp. 89—90.
gälläfä (M.Ms) 'be long' (1.5; 3.4) gällätä (Ms) 'expose' (3.1)
gämmätä (M) 'chew ofP (2.2; 3.1)
gärräfä (M.Ms) 'lash' (1.9; 3.1)
gärrämä (Ms) 'be amazing' (1.3)
gärrätä (Ms) 'despise' (3.2) gärräzä (Ms) 'be old' (1.5) halläqä (Ms) 'create' (3.2) käffälä (Ms) 'pay' (1.7)
käffätä (M.Ms) 'open' (2.3; 3.2) kässärä (M.Ms) 'lose in business' (1.5) kässäsä (M) 'accuse' (2.3)
kättäfä (M.Ms) 'hash meat' (2.3; 3.2)
xäbbäbä (M) 'surround' (2.2)
xäddänä (M) 'thatch a house' (3.1)
läbbäsä (M) 'dress' (1.6) läggädä (Ms) 'touch' (2.3; 3.2)
läqqämä (M.Ms) 'pick up' (1.9; 2.3)
läqqäqä (M) 'take apart' (2.3) mäkkärä (Ms) 'advise' (3.1)
mällätä (M.Ms) 'bark a tree' (2.2; 3.1) märrärä (M) 'be bitter' (1.4)
märrätä (Ms) 'castrate a man' (1.9)
näddädä (M) 'bum' (1.4)
näddäfä (M) 'sting' (2.2)
näffäqä (Ms) 'break offa branch' (3.1) näffärä (M) 'be very hot' (1.2) näffäsä (M) 'blow' (1.2) näggäsä (M.Ms) 'reign' (1.4) näkkäsä (M.Ms) 'bite' (2.2; 3.1) näqqälä (Ms) 'dig out' (2.2)
nättärä (Ms) 'bleed from the nose'
(2.5)
nättäqä (Ms) 'snatch away' (3.2) nättärä (M) 'be melted' (1.5) qäbbälä (Ms) 'decrease' (2.4) qäbbärä (M.Ms) 'plant' (2.2; 3.1) qäbbätä (M.Ms) 'lack, miss' (1.4; 3.3) qäffäfä (M) 'cut the edges' (2.3) qälläbä (M.Ms) 'catch' (2.3; 3.1) qällälä (M) 'be light' (1.2)
qämmäsä (M.Ms) 'taste' (1.9; 3.2)
qärräbä (Ms) 'be near' (1.1) qärräfä (M) 'hit with a stick' (1.9) qärrämä (M) 'insult' (2.3)
qärräsä (M.Ms) 'begin' (2.3; 3.2)-'
qärrätä (M.Ms) 'levy dues' (2.3; 3.2) qättänä (Ms) 'be thin' (1.2)
qättärä (Ms) 'kill' (2.2)
säbbärä (M.Ms) 'break' (2.2; 3.1) säddäbä (Ms) 'insult' (3.2) säddädä (M) 'chase' (2.2) säffärä (M.Ms) 'measure' (3.1)
säggädä (M.Ms) 'prostrate oneself
(1.3)
säggärä. (Ms) 'amble' (1.2)
säkkäkä (M) 'drive a peg into the
ground' (2.3)
säkkärä (M.Ms) 'be dmnk' (1.4; 2.4)
sämmätä (M) 'dive' (1.2) särräqä (M.Ms) 'steal' (1.7; 3.1) täkkäsä (M) 'kindle' (2.3) tännänä (M) 'smoke' (1.5) tärräfä (M) 'remain' (1.4)
tärrärä (M) 'cut into small pieces' (2.3) täbbäqä (Ms) 'be firm' (3.3)
täbbäsä (M) 'fry' (1.7)
täbbätä (M.Ms) 'seize' (2.2; 3.1) tälläfä (Ms) 'rope an animal to kill it'
■ (3.2)
tälläqä (M.Ms) 'draw water from a
container' (2.3; 3.2)
tämmämä (M) 'be crooked' (1.5)
täqqälä (Ms) 'be better' (2.5) täqqämä (M) 'be useful' (3.2) täqqäsä (M.Ms) 'nod' (2.4) tärräqä (M.Ms) 'be dry' (1.5) tärräsä (M) 'break off a piece' (2.2) wäddädä (M.Ms) 'love' (1.9; 2.3)
wäqqärä (M.Ms) 'hew stones' (1.8;
3.1)
wäqqäsä (Ms) 'reproach' (2.2) wäqqätä (Ms) 'pound' (2.3) wärrädä (Ms) 'descend' (1.1) wärräsä (M) 'inherit' (1.6; 2.2) wättärä (M) 'distend hide' (1.9; 3.1) wättäqä (MMb) 'fall' (1.1)
zäggädä (M) 'remember' (2.3)
zälläqä (Ms) 'penetrate' (3.4) zännäbä (Ms) 'rain' (1.3) zännäfä (M) 'hit' (2.3) zärräfä (M) 'piUage' (1.9)
7 ZDMG 132/1
their Reflexes in the Modern Arabic Dialects '
By Peter Abboud, Austin, Texas
Classical Arabic and all modem Arabic dialects show a clear perfect-
imperfect distinction in their verb forms; the latter, in both forms of
Arabic, differs from the former in that it has, in addition to a stem,
suffixes as well as prefixes, while the former has sufiixes only. In the
imperfect. Classical Arabic has two stems for certain types of verbs,
while the modem dialects, with at least one known exception, have only
one stem for the imperfect for all verb t3^e8, which also serves as the
stem of the imperative. The exception is the group of dialects spoken
today in the Najd of Saudi Arabia (henceforth referred to collectively as
Najdi Arabic) , which exhibit imperative stems which are different from
those of the imperfect and have thus maintained ancient features that
are remarkably similar to Classical Arabic. This paper will examine
these stems in terms of their stmcture and synchronic derivation, first
for Classical Arabic, then for the modern Arabic dialects and for Najdi;
in addition it will attempt to discuss their historical development.
1. Classical Arabic
The Arab grammarians distinguish three modes for the imperfect:
al-marßi' 'the indicative', al-mansüb 'the subjunctive', and al-majzüm
'the jussive'. The forms, which in each case consist of a prefix, a stem,
and may end in a suffix, may be divided into two groups. (1) The
members ofthe paradigm that always have a suffix are: (i) the f p. (2nd
and 3rd persons), whose suffix is/-na/ in all three modes; and (ii) the
d. (m. and f , 2nd and 3rd persons), the m.p. (2nd and 3rd persons), and
the 2 f.s., whose sufiixes consist ofa long vowel, /ä, ü, i,/^ respectively,
' An abridged version of part of this paper was read at the 118th annual
meeting ofthe American Oriental Society, held in Toronto, Canada, in 1978. I
am indebted to Ernest McCarus ofthe University of Michigan for reading the
paper and for many valuable comments.
^ Some of these vowels may, of course, assimilate to a preceding vowel in the
case of the final-weak verbs. For details see W. Wright: A grammar of the
Arabic Language-^. Cambridge 1967, 1 88 ff. and Henri Fleisch: Traite de philo¬
logie arabe. Beirut 1956, I 118-139.
