É. Apor , I. Ormos (ed.): Goldziher Memorial Conference, June 21–22, 2000, Budapest.

JUNGRAITHMAYR, Hermann: Hamitosemitic Features of Chadic

HERRMANN JUNGRAITHMAYR subject object possessive Sg. 1 N or Vowel na/ni ni -a 2m K(a) ka ka -ka 2f K(i) ki ki -ki 3m Y(i) ya shi -sa 3f T(a) ta ta -ta It is of special interest and crucial relevance for the Afroasiatic heritage argument that many Chadic languages dispose of two different morphemes for the first person singular, i.e. a nasal morpheme on the one hand and a vowel suffix on the other hand, depending on its morphosyntactic functions. In Hausa, for instance, the distribution of functions is the same as in Arabic, i.e. the vowel suffix is characteristic of the possessive, the nasal morpheme of the object pronoun. For instance, Arabic Hausa 'my love' hubb-T soo-n-a 'she loves/d me' tuhibbu-ni ta soo m (For details on this issue see Jungraithmayr 1999). Moreover, it is a feature particulary specific of Hamitosemitic languages to distinguish sex/gender not only in the 3rd but also in the 2nd person singular. It is doubly significant, however, that the consonant-vowel morphemes as found in Chadic (*ka : *ki) are well-attested in the entire Hamitosemitic stock. Another characteristic common Hamitosemitic feature in Chadic is the binary verbal aspect system marked by internal vowel change (Ablaut) plus, occasionally, gemination of C

2 or C

3; cf. the following examples taken from different, though mainly East Chadic languages: Perfective stem Imperfei stem Migama 'to untie' 'ipiré 'épárrá 'to wrap' kútumé kótómmá 'to pay' pilké pélékká Mokilko 'to bite' Tidá fúdú Mubi 'to bite' ,éwít 'úwáát 'to die' máát müwáát Ron-Bokkos 'to die' mot mwáát Sokoro 'to die' mité míitá 148