View source for Social:Hausa language

{{Short description|Chadic language of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and neighbouring countries}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Hausa
| nativename       = {{ubl|{{lang|ha-Arab|هَرْشٜن هَوْسَ}}|{{lang|ha-Latn|Harshen}}/{{lang|ha-Latn|Halshen Hausa}}}}
| states           = Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin, Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast
| region           = [[Place:West Africa|West Africa]]
| ethnicity        = Hausa
| speakers_label   = Speakers
| speakers         = [[Social:First language|L1]]: {{sigfig|51.744560|2}} million
| date             = 2007–2021
| ref              = e26
| speakers2        = L2: {{sigfig|26.776020|2}} million (2018–2021)<ref name=e26/>
| familycolor      = Afro-Asiatic
| fam2             = Chadic
| fam3             = West Chadic
| fam4             = Hausa–Gwandara (A.1)
| script           = {{ubl|Latin (Boko alphabet)|Arabic (Ajami)|Hausa Braille}}
| nation           = {{ubl|{{NIG}} ([[Social:National language|national status]])|{{NGA}} ([[Social:National language|national status]])}}
| minority         = {{flag|Benin}}
| iso1             = ha
| iso2             = hau
| iso3             = hau
| glotto           = haus1257
| glottorefname    = Hausa
| lingua           = 19-HAA-b
| notice           = IPA
| map              = Hausa_language_map.png
| mapcaption       = Areas of Niger and Nigeria where Hausa people are based. Hausa tribes are to the north.
}}

'''Hausa''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aʊ|s|ə}};{{sfnp|Bauer|2007|p=?}} {{lang|ha|Harshen}}/{{lang|ha|Halshen Hausa}} {{pronunciation|Ha-Hausa4.ogg|listen|(|help=no}}; Ajami: {{lang|ms-Arab|هَرْشٜن هَوْسَ}}) is a Chadic language that is spoken by the Hausa people in the northern parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern parts of Niger, Chad and Sudan, with significant minorities in Ivory Coast.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Wolff|first=H. Ekkehard|title=Hausa language|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hausa-language|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Spread of the Hausa Language|url=https://worldmapper.org/maps/spread-of-the-hausa-language-2005/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Worldmapper|language=en}}</ref>

Hausa is a member of the [[Social:Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic language family]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=chayes|title=The Hausa Language|url=https://www.iaaw.hu-berlin.de/en/africa/linguistik-und-sprachen/african-languages/hausa|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Website des Institutes für Asien- und Afrikawissenschaften der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin|language=en}}</ref> and is the most widely spoken language within the Chadic branch of that family. ''[[Social:Ethnologue|Ethnologue]]'' estimated that it was spoken as a first language by some 50.7&nbsp;million people and as a second language by another 26.2&nbsp;million, bringing the total number of Hausa speakers to an estimated 77&nbsp;million.{{fact|date=November 2023}}

In Nigeria, the Hausa film industry is known as Kannywood.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-10-03|title=Nigerian actress Rahama Sadau banned after on-screen hug|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37539977|access-date=2020-10-29}}</ref>

==Classification==
{{Main|Social:Afroasiatic languages}}
Hausa belongs to the West Chadic languages subgroup of the Chadic languages group, which in turn is part of the [[Social:Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic language]] family.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chadic languages {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chadic-languages|access-date=2022-02-15|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Geographic distribution==

[[File:Nigeria linguistic 1979.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|The linguistic groups of Nigeria in 1979]]
Native speakers of Hausa, the Hausa people, are mostly found in southern Niger and northern Nigeria.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Sani|first=M. A. Z.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48668741|title=Tsarin sauti da nahawun hausa|date=1999|publisher=University Press|isbn=978-978-030-535-2|location=Ibadan [Nigeria]|oclc=48668741}}</ref> The language is used as a lingua franca by non-native speakers in most of northern Nigeria, southern Niger, northern Cameroon, northern Ghana, northern Benin, northern Togo, southern Chad and parts of Sudan.<ref name=":0" />
===By country===
====Nigeria====

In Nigeria, Hausa is dominant throughout the north, but not dominant in the states of Kwara, Kogi and Benue. Cities in which Hausa is spoken include Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Daura, Gobir, Zaria, Sokoto, Birnin Kebbi, Gusau, Dutse, Hadejia, Bauchi, Misau, Zamfara, Gombe, Nafada, Maiduguri, Yobe, Yola, Jalingo, Jos, Lafia, Nasarawa, Minna, Kontagora, Lokoja, Keffi and [[Place:Abuja|Abuja]].

====Niger====
In Niger, Hausa is spoken in the south, including the cities of Maradi, Diffa, Tahoua, Zinder, Tillaberi, Dosso, and Agadez.

====Cameroon====
In Cameroon, Hausa is spoken in the north, including the cities of Ngaoundere, [[Place:Garoua|Garoua]], and [[Place:Maroua|Maroua]].
====Ghana====
In Ghana, Hausa is spoken in the north. Cities where it is spoken include [[Place:Tamale, Ghana|Tamale]], [[Place:Bolgatanga|Bolgatanga]], and [[Place:Wa, Ghana|Wa]].

====Benin====
In Benin, Hausa is spoken in the north. Cities where it is spoken include Parakou, Kandi, Natitingou, and Djougou.

====Togo====
In Togo, Hausa is spoken in the north. Cities where it is spoken include Sokode, Kara, and Dapaong.

====Chad====
In Chad, Hausa is spoken in the south. Cities where it is spoken include [[Place:N'Djamena|N'Djamena]].
====Sudan====
In Sudan, Hausa is spoken in the states of Jazirah, Blue Nile, and Kordofan.

==Dialects==
Hausa presents a wide uniformity wherever it is spoken.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Department|first1=United States Army|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PhfluJdZwzcC&dq=Hausa+presents+a+wide+uniformity+wherever+is+spoken.&pg=PA96|title=U.S. Army Area Handbook for Nigeria. Second Edition, March 1964|last2=Army|first2=United States Department of the|date=1964|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|language=en}}</ref> However, linguists have identified dialect areas with a cluster of features characteristic of each one.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hausa Language Variation and Dialects|url=http://aflang.humanities.ucla.edu/language-materials/chadic-languages/hausa/hausa-language-variation-dialects/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=African Languages at UCLA|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Traditional dialects ===
Eastern Hausa [[Social:Dialect|dialect]]s include ''Dauranci'' in Daura, ''Kananci'' in Kano, ''Bausanci'' in Bauchi, ''Gudduranci'' in Katagum Misau and part of Borno, and ''Hadejanci'' in Hadejiya.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Hausa Language – Department of African Studies|url=https://www.iaaw.hu-berlin.de/en/africa/linguistik-und-sprachen/african-languages/hausa|access-date=2020-10-14|website=www.iaaw.hu-berlin.de|language=en}}</ref>

Western Hausa dialects include ''Sakkwatanci'' in Sokoto, ''Katsinanci'' in Katsina, ''Arewanci'' in Gobir, Adar, Kebbi, and Zanhwaranci in Zamfara, and ''Kurhwayanci'' in Kurfey in Niger. Katsina is transitional between Eastern and Western dialects. Sokoto is used in a variety of classical Hausa literature, and is often known as ''Classical Hausa''.<ref name=Caron2011>{{cite book|url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00647533v3|title=Hausa Grammatical Sketch|first=Bernard|last=Caron|date=2011|location=Paris|publisher=LLACAN}}</ref>

Northern Hausa dialects include ''[[Place:Arewa|Arewa]]'' (meaning 'North') and ''Arewaci''.

''Zazzaganci'' in Zazzau is the major Southern dialect.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-16|title=Nigeria: 'Tribalism' and the nationality question|url=https://punchng.com/nigeria-tribalism-and-the-nationality-question/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Punch Newspapers|language=en-US}}</ref>

The Daura (''Dauranchi'') and Kano (''Kananci'') dialect are the standard.  The BBC, Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale and Voice of America offer Hausa services on their international news web sites using Dauranci and Kananci. In recent language development Zazzaganci took over the innovation of writing and speaking the current Hausa language use.<ref>{{Cite web|last=onnaedo|date=2021-08-31|title=Hausa Language: 4 interesting things you should know about Nigeria's most widely spoken dialect|url=https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/hausa-language-4-interesting-things-you-should-know-about-nigerias-most-widely-spoken/m78gnmh|access-date=2022-02-17|website=Pulse Nigeria|language=en}}</ref>

=== Northernmost dialects and loss of tonality ===
The western to eastern Hausa dialects of ''Kurhwayanci'', Dam''agaram'' and ''Adarawa'', represent the traditional northernmost limit of native Hausa communities.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Hausawa|url=https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=737048570267593&id=287529908552797|access-date=2022-02-15|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}</ref> These are spoken in the northernmost [[Place:Sahel|sahel]] and mid-Saharan regions in west and central Niger in the Tillaberi, Tahoua, Dosso, Maradi, Agadez and Zinder regions.<ref name=":4" /> While mutually comprehensible with other dialects (especially ''Sakkwatanci'', and to a lesser extent ''Gaananci''), the northernmost dialects have slight grammatical and lexical differences owing to frequent contact with the Zarma, Fula, and Tuareg groups and cultural changes owing to the geographical differences between the grassland and desert zones. These dialects also have the quality of bordering on non-tonal pitch accent dialects.

This link between non-tonality and geographic location is not limited to Hausa alone, but is exhibited in other northern dialects of neighbouring languages; example includes differences within the Songhay language (between the non-tonal northernmost dialects of Koyra Chiini in Timbuktu and Koyraboro Senni in Gao; and the tonal southern Zarma dialect, spoken from western Niger to northern Ghana), and within the Soninke language (between the non-tonal northernmost dialects of Imraguen and Nemadi spoken in east-central Mauritania; and the tonal southern dialects of Senegal, Mali and the [[Place:Sahel|Sahel]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title='The improtance [sic] of Hausa language as a verbal communication to Hausa people' as the research topic |url=http://linguistmam.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-improtance-of-hausa-language-as.html |access-date=2022-02-15 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Ghanaian Hausa dialect ===
The Ghanaian Hausa dialect (''Gaananci''), spoken in Ghana and Togo, is a distinct western native Hausa dialect-bloc with adequate linguistic and media resources available. Separate smaller Hausa dialects are spoken by an unknown number of Hausa further west in parts of Burkina Faso, and in the Haoussa Foulane, Badji Haoussa, Guezou Haoussa, and Ansongo districts of northeastern Mali (where it is designated as a minority language by the Malian government), but there are very little linguistic resources and research done on these particular dialects at this time.

Gaananci forms a separate group from other Western Hausa dialects, as it now falls outside the contiguous Hausa-dominant area, and is usually identified by the use of ''c'' for ''ky'', and ''j'' for ''gy''. This is attributed to the fact that Ghana's Hausa population descend from Hausa-Fulani traders settled in the zongo districts of major trade-towns up and down the previous Asante, Gonja and Dagomba kingdoms stretching from the [[Place:Sahel|sahel]] to coastal regions, in particular the cities of [[Place:Accra|Accra]] (Sabon Zango, Nima), Takoradi and [[Place:Cape Coast|Cape Coast]]

Gaananci exhibits noted inflected influences from Zarma, Gur, Jula-[[Social:Bambara language|Bambara]], Akan, and Soninke, as Ghana is the westernmost area in which the Hausa language is a major lingua-franca among sahelian/Muslim West Africans, including both Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian zango migrants primarily from the northern regions, or Mali and Burkina Faso. Ghana also marks the westernmost boundary in which the Hausa people inhabit in any considerable number. Immediately west and north of Ghana (in Cote d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso), Hausa is abruptly replaced with Dioula–[[Social:Bambara language|Bambara]] as the main sahelian/Muslim lingua-franca of what become predominantly Manding areas, and native Hausa-speakers plummet to a very small urban minority.

Because of this, and the presence of surrounding Akan, Gbe, Gur and [[Social:Mande languages|Mande languages]], Gaananci was historically isolated from the other Hausa dialects.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.njas.helsinki.fi/pdf-files/vol5num2/bodomo.pdf |title=Njas.helsinki.fi |access-date=2021-07-17 |archive-date=2021-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207193520/http://www.njas.helsinki.fi/pdf-files/vol5num2/bodomo.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite this difference, grammatical similarities between ''Sakkwatanci'' and Ghanaian Hausa determine that the dialect, and the origin of the Ghanaian Hausa people themselves, are derived from the northwestern Hausa area surrounding Sokoto.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ethnorema.it/pdf/numero%204/03%20Articolo%201%20Guerini.pdf |title=Ethnorema.it |access-date=2021-07-17 |archive-date=2018-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128092330/http://www.ethnorema.it/pdf/numero%204/03%20Articolo%201%20Guerini.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Hausa is also widely spoken by non-native Gur, and Mandé Ghanaian Muslims, but differs from Gaananci, and rather has features consistent with non-native Hausa dialects.

=== Other native dialects ===
Hausa is also spoken in various parts of Cameroon and Chad, which combined the mixed dialects of Northern Nigeria and Niger. In addition, Arabic has had a great influence in the way Hausa is spoken by the native Hausa speakers in these areas.

=== Non-native Hausa ===

In [[Place:West Africa|West Africa]], Hausa's use as a lingua franca has given rise to a non-native pronunciation that differs vastly from native pronunciation by way of key omissions of implosive and ejective consonants present in native Hausa dialects, such as ''ɗ'', ''ɓ'' and ''kʼ/ƙ'', which are pronounced by non-native speakers as ''d'', ''b'' and ''k'' respectively. This creates confusion among non-native and native Hausa speakers, as non-native pronunciation does not distinguish words like ''{{wiktha|daidai}}'' ("correct") and ''{{wiktha|ɗaiɗai}}'' ("one-by-one"). Another difference between native and non-native Hausa is the omission of vowel length in words and change in the standard tone of native Hausa dialects (ranging from native Fulani and Tuareg Hausa-speakers omitting tone altogether, to Hausa speakers with Gur or [[Social:Yoruba language|Yoruba]] mother tongues using additional tonal structures similar to those used in their native languages). Use of masculine and feminine gender nouns and sentence structure are usually omitted or interchanged, and many native Hausa nouns and verbs are substituted with non-native terms from local languages.

Non-native speakers of Hausa numbered more than 25&nbsp;million and, in some areas, live close to native Hausa. It has replaced many other languages especially in the north-central and north-eastern part of Nigeria and continues to gain popularity in other parts of Africa as a result of Hausa movies and music which spread out throughout the region.

===Hausa-based pidgins===
{{Infobox language
| name             = Gibanawa
| states           = 
| region           = Jega, Nigeria
| speakers         = none
| ref              = <ref name=e25gib>{{e25|gib|Gibanawa}}</ref>
| familycolor      = Pidgin
| family           = Hausa-based [[Social:Pidgin|pidgin]]
| minority         = 
| iso3             = gib
| glotto           = giba1240
| glottorefname    = Gibanawa
| ELP              = 4211
| ELPname          = Gibanawa
}}

{{anchor|Gibanawa}}There are several [[Social:Pidgin|pidgin]] forms of Hausa. Barikanchi was formerly used in the colonial army of Nigeria. '''Gibanawa''' is currently in widespread use in Jega in northwestern Nigeria, south of the native Hausa area.<ref name=e25gib/>

=== Loan words ===
The Hausa language has a long history of borrowing words from other languages, usually from the  languages being spoken around and near Hausaland.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kirk-Greene |first=A. H. M. |date=1963 |title=Neologisms in Hausa: A Sociological Approach |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1157795 |journal=Africa: Journal of the International African Institute |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=25–44 |doi=10.2307/1157795 |jstor=1157795 |s2cid=143323447 |issn=0001-9720}}</ref> 
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Word
!Language
|-
|''akwati'' - 'box', ''agogo'' - 'clock', ''ashana'' - 'matches'
|[[Social:Yoruba language|Yoruba]]
|-
|''dattijo'' - 'old man', ''inna'' - 'mother', ''kawu'' – 'uncle'
|Fulani
|-
|''karatu'' – 'reading', ''rubutu'' – 'writing', ''birni'' – 'city'
|[[Social:Kanuri language|Kanuri]]
|-
|''shinkafa'' – 'rice', ''angulu'' – 'vulture'
|Nupe
|}

==Phonology==

===Consonants===
Hausa has between 23 and 25 consonant phonemes depending on the speaker.

{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|-style=font-size:90%
|+Consonant phonemes
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|
!rowspan=2|Bilabial
!rowspan=2|Alveolar
!rowspan=2|Post-<br>alveolar
!colspan=3|Dorsal
!rowspan=2|Glottal
|-
!<small>front</small>
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>round</small>
|-
!colspan=2 style=font-size:90%|Nasal
|{{IPAlink|m}}
|{{IPAlink|n}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=4 style=font-size:90%|Plosive/<br>Affricate
!<small>implosive</small>
|{{IPAlink|ɓ}}
|{{IPAlink|ɗ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|{{IPAlink|b}}
|{{IPAlink|d}}
|({{IPAlink|dʒ|d}}){{IPAlink|ʒ}}
|{{IPAlink|ɟ}}
|{{IPAlink|ɡ}}
|{{IPAlink|ɡʷ}}
|
|-
!<small>tenuis</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|t}}
|{{IPAlink|tʃ}}
|{{IPAlink|c}}
|{{IPAlink|k}}
|{{IPAlink|kʷ}}
|{{IPAlink|ʔ}}
|-
!<small>ejective</small>
|
|({{IPAlink|tsʼ|t}}){{IPAlink|sʼ}}
|({{IPAlink|tʃʼ}})
|{{IPAlink|cʼ}}
|{{IPAlink|kʼ}}
|{{IPA|kʷʼ}}
|
|-
!rowspan=2 style=font-size:90%|Fricative
!<small>voiced</small>
|
|{{IPAlink|z}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>tenuis</small>
|{{IPAlink|ɸ}}
|{{IPAlink|s}}
|{{IPAlink|ʃ}}
|
|
|
|{{IPAlink|h}}
|-
!colspan=2 style=font-size:90%|Approximant
|
|{{IPAlink|l}}
|
|{{IPAlink|j}} {{IPA|j̰}}
|
|{{IPAlink|w}}
|
|-
!colspan=2 style=font-size:90%|Rhotic
|
|{{IPAlink|r}}
|{{IPAlink|ɽ}}
|
|
|
|
|}

The three-way contrast between palatals {{IPA|/c ɟ cʼ/}}, plain velars {{IPA|/k ɡ kʼ/}}, and labialized velars {{IPA|/kʷ ɡʷ kʷʼ/}} is found only before long and short {{IPA|/a/}}, e.g. {{IPA|/cʼaːɽa/}} ('grass'), {{IPA|/kʼaːɽaː/}} ('to increase'), {{IPA|/kʷʼaːɽaː/}} ('shea-nuts'). Before front vowels, only palatals and labialized velars occur, e.g. {{IPA|/ciːʃiː/}} ('jealousy') vs. {{IPA|/kʷiːɓiː/}} ('side of body'). Before rounded vowels, only labialized velars occur, e.g. {{IPA|/kʷoːɽaː/}} ('ringworm').{{sfnp|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|p=91}}<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2022/21454/HausaPhonology.pdf?sequence=1|chapter=Hausa Phonology|last=Newman|first=Paul|publisher=Eisenbrauns|year=1996|pages=537–552|title=Phonologies of Asia and Africa|editor-last=Kaye|editor-first=Alan S.|editor-last2=Daniels|editor-first2=Peter T.}}</ref>

===Glottalic consonants===
Hausa has glottalic consonants (implosives and ejectives) at four or five places of articulation (depending on the dialect). They require movement of the glottis during pronunciation and have a staccato sound.

They are written with modified versions of Latin letters. They can also be denoted with an apostrophe, either before or after depending on the letter, as shown below:

* ɓ / b', an implosive consonant, {{IPAblink|ɓ}}, sometimes {{IPA|[ʔb]}};
* ɗ / d', an implosive {{IPAblink|ɗ}}, sometimes {{IPA|[dʔ]}};
* ts', an ejective consonant, {{IPA|[tsʼ]}} or {{IPA|[sʼ]}}, according to the dialect;
* ch', an ejective {{IPAblink|tʃʼ}} (does not occur in Kano dialect)
* ƙ / k', an ejective {{IPA|[kʼ]}}; {{IPA|[kʲʼ]}} and {{IPA|[kʷʼ]}} are separate consonants;
* ƴ / 'y is a palatal approximant with creaky voice, {{IPA|[j̰]}},<ref>[http://www.phonetics.ucla.edu/course/chapter6/hausa/hausa.html Hausa ejectives and laryngealized consonants]. Sound files hosted by the University of California at Los Angeles, from: Ladefoged, Peter: [http://www.phonetics.ucla.edu/index.html A Course in Phonetics. 5th ed.] Thomson/Wadsworth.</ref> found in only a small number of high-frequency words (e.g. {{IPA|/j̰áːj̰áː/}} "children", {{IPA|/j̰áː/}} "daughter"). Historically it developed from palatalized {{IPAblink|ɗ}}.<ref name=Newman2000>Newman, Paul (1937/2000) The Hausa Language: an encyclopedic reference grammar. Yale University Press. p. 397.</ref>

===Vowels===
[[File:Hausa vowel chart.svg|right|upright=1.13|thumb|Hausa vowel chart, from {{Harvcoltxt|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|p=91}}. The short vowels {{IPA|/i, u, a/|cat=no}} have a much wider range of allophones than what is presented on the chart.]]
Hausa vowels occur in five different vowel qualities, all of which can be short or long, totaling 10 monophthongs. In addition, there are four diphthongs, giving a total number of 14 vocalic phonemes.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+
!
!Front
!Central
!Back
|-
!Close
|{{IPAlink|i iː}}
|
|{{IPAlink|u uː}}
|-
!Mid
|{{IPAlink|e eː}}
|
|{{IPAlink|o oː}}
|-
!Open
|
|{{IPAlink|a aː}}
|
|}
;:

In comparison with the long vowels, the short {{IPA|/i, u/}} can be similar in quality to the long vowels, mid-centralized to {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|ɪ}}, {{IPAplink|ʊ}}]}} or centralized to {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|ɨ}}, {{IPAplink|ʉ}}]}}.{{sfnp|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|pp=90–91}}

Medial {{IPA|/i, u/}} can be neutralized to {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|ɨ}} ~ {{IPAplink|ʉ}}]}}, with the rounding depending on the environment.{{sfnp|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|p=90}}

Medial {{IPA|/e, o/}} are neutralized with {{IPA|/a/}}.{{sfnp|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|p=90}}

The short {{IPA|/a/}} can be either similar in quality to the long {{IPA|/aː/}}, or it can be as high as {{IPAblink|ə}}, with possible intermediate pronunciations ({{IPA|[{{IPAplink|ɐ}} ~ {{IPAplink|ɜ}}]}}).{{sfnp|Schuh|Yalwa|1999|pp=90–91}}

The 4 diphthongs in Hausa are {{IPA|/ai, au, iu, ui/}}.

===Tones===
Hausa is a tonal language. Each of its five vowels may have low tone, high tone or falling tone. In standard written Hausa, tone is not marked. In recent linguistic and pedagogical materials, tone is marked by means of diacritics.

: {{big|à è ì ò ù}}&nbsp;– low tone: grave accent ({{big|`}})

: {{big|â ê î ô û}}&nbsp;– falling tone: circumflex ({{big|ˆ}})

An acute accent ({{big|´}}) may be used for high tone, but the usual practice is to leave high tone unmarked.

==Morphology==
Except for the Zaria and Bauchi dialects spoken south of Kano, Hausa distinguishes between masculine and feminine genders.<ref name=Caron2011/>

Hausa, like the rest of the Chadic languages, is known for its complex, irregular pluralization of nouns. Noun plurals in Hausa are derived using a variety of morphological processes, such as suffixation, infixation, reduplication, or a combination of any of these processes. There are 20 plural classes proposed by Newman (2000).<ref>{{cite conference
|url=https://mguzmann89.gitlab.io/pdf/hausa-post.pdf
|title=Quantitative methods in African Linguistics – Predicting plurals in Hausa
|first1=Matías
|last1=Guzmán Naranjo
|first2=Laura
|last2=Becker
|conference=ACAL 48
|date=April 2017
|location=Indiana, U.S.
}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Class !! Affix !! Singular (ex.) !! Plural (ex.) !! Gloss (ex.)
|-
! 1
| a-a || sirdì || sir'''à'''d'''a''' || 'saddle'
|-
! 2
| a-e || gulbi || gul'''à'''b'''e''' || 'stream'
|-
! 3
| a-u || kurmì || kur'''à'''m'''u''' || 'grove'
|-
! 4
| -aCe || wuri || wur'''à'''r'''e''' || 'place'
|-
! 5
| -ai || malàm || malàm'''ai''' || 'teacher'
|-
! 6
| -anni || watà || wàt'''ànni''' || 'moon'
|-
! 7
| -awa || talàkà || talak'''awa''' || 'commoner'
|-
! 8
| -aye || zomo || zom'''àye''' || 'hare'
|-
! 9
| -Ca || tabò || tab'''ba''' || 'scar'
|-
! 10
| -Cai || tudù || tùd'''dai''' || 'high ground'
|-
! 11
| -ce2 || ciwò || cìwà'''ce-cìwàce''' || 'illness'
|-
! 12
| -Cuna || cikì || cik'''kunà''' || 'belly'
|-
! 13
| -e2 || camfì || càmf'''e-càmfe''' || 'superstition'
|-
! 14
| -i || tàurarò || tàuràr'''i''' || 'star'
|-
! 15
| -oCi || tagà || tag'''ogi''' || 'window'
|-
! 16
| -u || kujèra || kùjèr'''u''' || 'chair'
|-
! 17
| u-a || cokàli || cok'''u'''l'''à''' || 'spoon'
|-
! 18
| -uka || layò || lay'''ukà''' || 'lane'
|-
! 19
| -una || rìga || rig'''unà''' || 'grown'
|-
! 20
| X2 || àkàwu || àkàwu-'''àkàwu''' || 'clerk'
|}

===Pronouns===
Hausa marks tense differences by different sets of subject pronouns, sometimes with the pronoun combined with some additional particle. For this reason, a subject pronoun must accompany every verb in Hausa, regardless of whether the subject is known from previous context or is expressed by a noun subject.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://aflang.humanities.ucla.edu/language-materials/chadic-languages/hausa/hausa-online-grammar/verb-tense/ |title=Hausa Verb Tense – African Languages at UCLA |access-date=2021-05-07 |archive-date=2020-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111220446/http://aflang.humanities.ucla.edu/language-materials/chadic-languages/hausa/hausa-online-grammar/verb-tense/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Time, aspect, and mood<ref>Bernard Caron. Hausa Grammatical Sketch. 2015. [https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00647533/file/CARON_Hausa_SKETCH_2013-10-02.pdf Hausa Grammatical Sketch – HAL-SHS]</ref>
|-
! rowspan="3" colspan="2" | 
! colspan="2" | 1st person
! colspan="3" | 2nd person
! colspan="3" | 3rd person
! rowspan="3" | indef
|-
! rowspan="2" | singular
! rowspan="2" | plural
! colspan="2" | singular
! rowspan="2" | plural
! colspan="2" | singular
! rowspan="2" | plural
|-
! m
! f
! m
! f
|-
! rowspan="3"| perfect
!
| naː
| mun
| kaː
| kin
| kun
| jaː
| taː
| sun
| an
|-
! relative
| na
| mukà
| ka
| kikà
| kukà
| ja
| ta
| sukà
| akà
|-
! negative
| bàn ... ba
| bàmù ... ba
| bàkà ... ba
| bàkì ... ba
| bàkù ... ba
| bài ... ba
| bàtà ... ba
| bàsù ... ba
| bà’à ... ba
|-
! rowspan="4" | continuous
!
| inàː
| munàː
| kanàː
| kinàː
| kunàː
| janàː / ʃinàː
| tanàː
| sunàː
| anàː
|-
! relative
| nakèː / nikèː
| mukèː
| kakèː
| kikèː
| kukèː
| jakèː / ʃikèː
| takèː
| sukèː
| akèː
|-
! negative
| baː nàː
| baː màː
| baː kàː
| baː kjàː
| baː kwàː
| baː jàː
| baː tàː
| baː sàː
| baː àː
|-
! negative<br><small>(possessives)</small>
| bâː ni
| bâː mu
| bâː ka
| bâː ki
| bâː ku
| bâː ʃi
| bâː ta
| bâː su
| bâː a
|-
! rowspan="2" | subjunctive
!
| ìn
| mù
| kà
| kì
| kù
| jà
| tà
| sù
| à
|-
! negative
| kadà/kâr ìn
| kadà/kâr mù
| kadà/kâr kà
| kadà/kâr kì
| kadà/kâr kù
| kadà/kâr jà
| kadà/kâr tà
| kadà/kâr sù
| kadà/kâr à
|-
! rowspan="2" | future
!
| zân / zaː nì
| zaː mù
| zaː kà
| zaː kì
| zaː kù
| zâi / zaː jà
| zaː tà
| zaː sù
| zaː à
|-
! negative
| bà/bàː zân ... ba /<br />bà/bàː zaː nì ... ba
| bà/bàː zaː mù ... ba
| bà/bàː zaː kà ... ba
| bà/bàː zaː kì ... ba
| bà/bàː zaː kù ... ba
| bà/bàː zâi ...ba /<br />bà/bàː zaː jà ... ba
| bà/bàː zaː tà ... ba
| bà/bàː zaː sù ... ba
| bà/bàː zaː à ... ba
|-
! rowspan="2" | indefinite future
!
| nâː
| mâː/mwâː
| kâː
| kjâː
| kwâː
| jâː
| tâː
| sâː/swâː
| âː
|-
! negative
| bà nâː... ba
| bà mâː/mwâː ... ba
| bà kâː ... ba
| bà kjâː ... ba
| bà kwâː ... ba
| bà jâː ... ba
| bà tâː ... ba
| bà sâː/swâː ... ba
| bà âː ... ba
|-
! rowspan="2" | habitual
!
| nakàn
| mukàn
| kakàn
| kikàn
| kukàn
| jakàn
| takàn
| sukàn
| akàn
|-
! negative
| bà nakàn ... ba
| bà mukàn ... ba
| bà kakàn ... ba
| bà kikàn ... ba
| bà kukàn ... ba
| bà jakàn ... ba
| bà takàn ... ba
| bà sukàn ... ba
| bà akàn ... ba
|}

==Writing systems==

===''Boko'' (Latin)===
Hausa's modern official [[Social:Orthography|orthography]] is a Latin-based alphabet called ''boko'', which was introduced in the 1930s by the British colonial administration.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! A a || B b || Ɓ ɓ || C c || D d || Ɗ ɗ || E e || F f || G g || H h || I i || J j || K k || Ƙ ƙ || L l
|-
| {{IPA|/a/}} || {{IPA|/b/}} || {{IPAslink|ɓ}} || {{IPA|/tʃ/}} || {{IPA|/d/}} || {{IPAslink|ɗ}} || {{IPA|/e/}} || {{IPAslink|ɸ}}  || {{IPA|/ɡ/}} || {{IPA|/h/}} || {{IPA|/i/}} || {{IPA|/(d)ʒ/}} || {{IPA|/k/}} || {{IPA|/kʼ/}} || {{IPA|/l/}}
|-
! M m || N n || O o || R r || (R̃ r̃) || S s || Sh sh || T t || Ts ts || U u || W w || Y y || (Ƴ ƴ) || Z z || {{hamza}}
|-
| {{IPA|/m/}} || {{IPA|/n/}} || {{IPA|/o/}} || {{IPAslink|ɽ}} || {{IPAslink|r}} || {{IPA|/s/}} || {{IPA|/ʃ/}} || {{IPA|/t/}} || {{IPA|/(t)sʼ/}} || {{IPA|/u/}} || {{IPA|/w/}} || {{IPA|/j/}} || {{IPA|/j̰/}}|| {{IPA|/z/}} || {{IPA|/ʔ/}}
|}
The letter ''ƴ'' (y with a right hook) is used only in Niger; in Nigeria it is written ''ʼy''.

Tone and vowel length are not marked in writing. So, for example, {{IPA|/dàɡà/}} "from" and {{IPA|/dáːɡáː/}} "battle" are both written ''daga''. The distinction between {{IPA|/r/}} and {{IPA|/ɽ/}} (which does not exist for all speakers) is not marked in orthography, but may be indicated with R̃ r̃ for the trill in linguistic transcription.

===''Ajami'' (Arabic)===
Hausa has also been written in ''ajami'', an Arabic alphabet, since the early 17th century. The first known work to be written in Hausa is Riwayar Nabi Musa by Abdullahi Suka in the 17th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hausa language |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hausa-language |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Britannica |language=en}}</ref>{{fix|text=these early texts were written in Arabic}} There is no standard system of using ''ajami'', and different writers may use letters with different values. Short vowels are written regularly with the help of vowel marks, which are seldom used in Arabic texts other than the Quran. Many medieval Hausa manuscripts in ''ajami'', similar to the Timbuktu Manuscripts, have been discovered recently; some of them even describe [[Astronomy:Constellation|constellation]]s and calendars.<ref>{{Cite news
 |last         = Verde
 |first        = Tom
 |title        = From Africa, in Ajami
 |work         = Saudi Aramco World
 |access-date   = 2014-05-25
 |date         = October 2011
 |url          = http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/201105/from.africa.in.ajami.htm
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20141130201717/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/201105/from.africa.in.ajami.htm
 |archive-date = 2014-11-30
 |url-status     = dead
}}</ref>

In the following table, short and long ''e'' are shown along with the Arabic letter for ''t'' ({{lang|ar|ت}}).
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:120%"
|-
! <span style="font-size:83.5%">Latin</span> || <span style="font-size:83.5%">IPA</span> || <span style="font-size:83.5%">Arabic ''ajami''</span>
|-
| a || {{IPAslink|a}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـَ}}</span>
|-
| a || {{IPAslink|aː}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـَا}}</span>
|-
| b || {{IPAslink|b}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ب}}</span>
|-
| ɓ || {{IPAslink|ɓ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ب}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(same as b),</span> <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ٻ}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(not used in Arabic)</span>
|-
| c || {{IPAslink|tʃ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ث}}</span>
|-
| d || {{IPAslink|d}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|د}}</span>
|-
| ɗ || {{IPAslink|ɗ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|د}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(same as <span style="letter-spacing:2pt">d</span>),</span> <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ط}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(also used for ts)</span>
|-
| e || {{IPAslink|e}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|تٜ}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(not used in Arabic)</span>
|-
| e || {{IPAslink|eː}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%;line-height:160%">{{script/Arabic|تٰٜ}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(not used in Arabic)</span>
|-
| f || {{IPAslink|ɸ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ف}}</span>
|-
| g || {{IPAslink|ɡ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|غ}}</span>
|-
| h || {{IPAslink|h}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ه}}</span>
|-
| i || {{IPAslink|i}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـِ}}</span>
|-
| i || {{IPAslink|iː}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـِى}}</span>
|-
| j || {{IPA|/(d)ʒ/}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ج}}</span>
|-
| k || {{IPAslink|k}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ك}}</span>
|-
| ƙ || {{IPAslink|kʼ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ك}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(same as k),</span> <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ق}}</span>
|-
| l || {{IPAslink|l}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ل}}</span>
|-
| m || {{IPAslink|m}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|م}}</span>
|-
| n || {{IPAslink|n}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ن}}</span>
|-
| o || {{IPAslink|o}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـُ}}</span> &nbsp;<span style="font-size:83.5%">(same as u)</span>
|-
| o || {{IPAslink|oː}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـُو}}</span> &nbsp;<span style="font-size:83.5%">(same as u)</span>
|-
| r || {{IPAslink|r}}, {{IPAslink|ɽ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ر}}</span>
|-
| s || {{IPAslink|s}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|س}}</span>
|-
| sh || {{IPAslink|ʃ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ش}}</span>
|-
| t || {{IPAslink|t}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ت}}</span>
|-
| ts || {{IPA|/(t)sʼ/}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ط}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(also used for <span style="letter-spacing:2pt">ɗ</span>),</span> <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ڟ}}</span> <span style="font-size:83.5%">(not used in Arabic)</span>
|-
| u || {{IPAslink|u}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـُ}}</span> &nbsp;<span style="font-size:83.5%">(same as o)</span>
|-
| u || {{IPAslink|uː}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ـُو}}</span> &nbsp;<span style="font-size:83.5%">(same as o)</span>
|-
| w || {{IPAslink|w}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|و}}</span>
|-
| y || {{IPAslink|j}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ی}}</span>
|-
| z || {{IPAslink|z}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ز}}</span> &nbsp; &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ذ}}</span>
|-
| ʼ || {{IPAslink|ʔ}} || &nbsp; <span style="font-size:140%">{{script/Arabic|ع}}</span>
|}

===Other systems===
Hausa is one of three indigenous languages of Nigeria that have been rendered in braille.

At least three other writing systems for Hausa have been proposed or "discovered". None of these are in active use beyond perhaps some individuals.

* A Hausa alphabet, named in some sources as ''Salifou'' or ''Gobiri'', supposedly of ancient origin{{Citation needed|reason=date of origin not mentioned in any sources cited|date=July 2023}} and in use north of Maradi, Niger.<ref>[http://www.bisharat.net/Demos/Hausa_alphabet.htm "Hausa alphabet"<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>{{failed verification|reason=Apparently there are people who use this north of Maradi. Any further insights into the origin and use would be appreciated.|date=November 2018}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Riley |first1=Charles L. |title=L2/22-073 Update on implementation status of African scripts |url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2022/22073-african-script-status.pdf |publisher=Unicode Consortium |access-date=19 July 2023 |page=2 |date=3 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ScriptSource – Salifou Hausa |url=https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=script_detail&key=Qa16 |website=scriptsource.org |access-date=19 July 2023}}</ref>
* A script that apparently originated with the writing/publishing group Raina Kama in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bisharat.net/Demos/Hausa_alpha_2.htm|title=Hausa alphabet from a 1993 publication|website=www.bisharat.net|access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref>
* A script called "Tafi" proposed in the 1970s(?)<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bisharat.net/Demos/Hausa_alpha_3.htm|title=Hausa alphabet from a 1993 publication|website=www.bisharat.net|access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref>

==See also==
* History of Niger
* History of Nigeria
* Kanem Empire
* Bornu Empire
* Bayajidda

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* Philips, John Edward. “Hausa in the Twentieth Century: An Overview.” in ''Sudanic Africa, ''vol. 15, 2004, pp. 55–84. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/25653413 online], on Romanization of the language.

* {{cite book
|last=Bauer
|first=Laurie
|year=2007
|title=The Linguistics Student's Handbook
|location=Edinburgh
|publisher=Edinburgh University Press
|isbn=978-0-7486-2758-5
}}
* {{cite book
|last1=Schuh
|first1=Russell G.
|last2=Yalwa
|first2=Lawan D.
|year=1999
|chapter=Hausa
|title=Handbook of the International Phonetic Association
|pages=90–95
|publisher=Cambridge University Press
|isbn=0-521-63751-1
}}
* {{cite book |author1=Charles Henry Robinson |author2=William Henry Brooks |author3=Hausa Association, London |title=Dictionary of the Hausa Language: Hausa–English  |year=1899 |publisher=The Oxford University Press }}
* {{cite book | author = Schön, James Frederick (Rev.) | url = https://archive.org/details/grammarofhausal00sch/page/n5 | title = Grammar of the Hausa language | language = en | access-date = Oct 19, 2018 | via = archive.org | publisher = Church Missionary House | location = London | year = 1882 | pages = 270 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20181019202419/https://archive.org/stream/grammarofhausal00sch/grammarofhausal00sch_djvu.txt | archive-date = October 19, 2018 | url-status = live }} (Now in the [[Social:Public domain|public domain]]).
{{Refend}}

==External links==

* {{Curlie|Science/Social_Sciences/Linguistics/Languages/Natural/Afro-Asiatic/Hausa/}}
* [http://www.omniglot.com/writing/hausa.htm Omniglot]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140513011326/http://library.columbia.edu/subject-guides/africa/subjects/hausa_bibliography.html Hausa Language Acquisitions] at Columbia University Libraries
* [http://wold.clld.org/vocabulary/4 Hausa Vocabulary List] –World Loanword Database
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040603144544/http://www.univie.ac.at/afrikanistik/oracle/KofarHausaE.html Hausa Dictionary] at [[Organization:University of Vienna|University of Vienna]]
* [http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED252096 ''Hausar Yau Da Kullum:''] –Intermediate and Advanced Lessons in Hausa Language and Culture

[[Category:Fusional languages]]
[[Category:Subject–verb–object languages]]
ug:خاۋسا تىلى

{{Sourceattribution|Hausa language}}