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Let’s Learn Hausa!. Leslie Brown EDUS 515 November 18, 2009. Hausa is spoken by an estimated 22 million native speakers, plus an additional 17 million second language speakers In Niger, Hausa is the majority language and is spoken by nearly all non-Hausa Nigeriens
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Let’s Learn Hausa! Leslie Brown EDUS 515 November 18, 2009
Hausa is spoken by an estimated 22 million native speakers, plus an additional 17 million second language speakers • In Niger, Hausa is the majority language and is spoken by nearly all non-Hausa Nigeriens • Pronunciation and certain words change between regions and countries
In the Hausa culture, as in all African cultures, any encounter must begin with a series of greetings • It is unforgivably rude to meet someone and immediately begin discussing business without exchanging greetings about the health or welfare of the participants, their families, etc. • The following is a typical sequence of greetings that might take place when a man encounters his friend at work
Sannu da aiki!Greetings on working! Yawwa, sannu!Right, greetings! Ina wuni?How's the day been? Lahiya lau!Just fine! Ina gajiya?How's the tiredness? Ba gajiya.There's no tiredness.
Some all-purpose greeting phrases can be use at any time: - “Sannu.” – Hello. - “Ina gajiya?” – How is the tiredness? • Others depend on the circumstances, such as time of day, prevailing weather, activity that the greetee is engaged in, or the family situation of the greetee: - “Ina kwana?” – How did you sleep? - “Ina gumi gumi?” – How is the humidity? - “Ina gona?” – How are the fields? - “Ina gida?” – How is the family?
