Editing Tuareg languages (section)

===Morphology===

As a root-and-pattern, or [[templatic]] language, [[triliteral roots]] (three-consonant bases) are the most common in Tamasheq. Niels and Regula Christiansen use the root k-t-b (to write) to demonstrate past completed aspect conjugation:

<div style="float:right; margin-left:20px">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Tamasheq subject affixes{{sfn|Sudlow|2001|p=118}}
|-
! colspan="2" |
! singular
! plural
|-
! colspan="2" | 1st person
| {{lang|tmh|...-ăɣ}}
| {{lang|tmh|n-...}}
|-
! colspan="2" | 2nd person
| {{lang|tmh|t-...-ăd}}
| {{lang|tmh|t-...-ăm}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | 3rd person
! {{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|tmh|y-...}}
| {{lang|tmh|t-...-măt}}
|-
! {{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|tmh|t-...}}
| {{lang|tmh|...-ăn}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | Participle form,<br />i.e. "who ..."
! {{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|tmh|y-...-ăn}}
| {{lang|tmh|...-năt}}
|-
! {{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|tmh|t-...-ăt}}
| {{lang|tmh|...-nen}}
|}
</div>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Conjugation of k-t-b 'write'{{sfn|Christiansen|Christiansen|2002|p=5}}
! colspan="2" | Person
! Singular
! Plural
|-
! colspan="2" | 1st
| {{interlinear|ektabaɣ|write.1S|'I wrote'}}
| {{interlinear|nektab|write.1P|'We wrote'}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2nd
! <small>(m)</small>
| rowspan="2" | {{interlinear|tektabad|write.2S|'You wrote'}}
| {{interlinear|tektabam|write.2P/M|'You wrote'}}
|-
! <small>(f)</small>
| {{interlinear|tektabmat|write.2P/F|'You wrote'}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | 3rd
! <small>(m)</small>
| {{interlinear|iktab|write.3S/M|'He wrote'}}
| {{interlinear|ektaban|write.3P/M|'They wrote'}}
|-
! <small>(f)</small>
| {{interlinear|tektab|write.3S/F|'She wrote'}}
| {{interlinear|ektabnat|write.3P/F|'They wrote'}}
|}

The verbal correspondence with the use of aspect; Tamasheq uses four, as delineated by Sudlow:

# Perfective: complete actions
# Stative: "lasting states as the ongoing results of a completed action."
# Imperfective: future or possible actions, "often used following a verb expressing emotion, decision or thought," it can be marked with "'ad'" (shortened to "'a-'" with prepositions).
# Cursive: ongoing actions, often habitual ones.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ aspects
! Verb
! Perfective/simple perfect
! Stative/intensive perfect
! Imperfective/simple perfect
! Cursive/intensive imperfect
|-
! rowspan="2" | z-g-r
| izgăr
| izgăr
|
|
|-
| 'He went out'
| 'He has gone out'
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | b-d-d
| ibdăd
| ibdăd
|
|
|-
| 'He stood up'
| 'He stood up (and so he is standing up)'
|-
! rowspan="2" |
| ekkeɣ hebu
| ekkêɣ hebu
|
|
|-
| 'I went to market'
| 'I am going to market'
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | l-m-d
|
|
| ad elmedăɣ Tămasăq
| lammădăɣ Tămasăq
|-
|
|
| 'I will learn Tamasheq'
| 'I am learning Tamasheq'
|-
! rowspan="2" |
|
|
| a-dd-as asekka
|
|-
|
|
| 'He will arrive (here) tomorrow'
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |
|
|
|
| iwan tattănăt alemmoZ
|-
|
|
|
| 'Cows eat straw'
|-
! rowspan="2" |
|
|
|
| ăru tasăɣalăɣ siha
|-
|
|
|
| 'I used to work over there'
|}

Commands are expressed in the [[imperative mood]], which tends to be a form of the imperfective aspect, unless the action is to be repeated or continued, in which case the cursive aspect is preferred.{{sfn|Sudlow|2001|p=57}}