Hausa language - Wikipedia

Hausa language - Wikipedia
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Chadic language spoken in West Africa
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Hausa
Hausa
هَرْشَن هَوْسَا
Harshen
Halshen Hausa
Pronunciation
/hawˈsa/
listen
Native to
Nigeria
Niger
Region
West Africa
Ethnicity
Hausa
Speakers
L1
: 58 million (2023–2024)
L2
: 36 million (2021–2024)
Total: 94 million (2023–2024)
Language family
Afro-Asiatic
Chadic
West
Hausa–Gwandara (A.1)
Hausa
Writing system
Latin
Boko alphabet
Arabic
Hausa Ajami
Hausa Braille
Official status
Official language in
Niger
official status
Nigeria
national status
Recognised minority
language in
Benin
Language codes
ISO 639-1
ha
ISO 639-2
hau
ISO 639-3
hau
Glottolog
haus1257
Linguasphere
19-HAA-b
Areas of Niger and Nigeria where Hausa people are based. Hausa tribes are shown in yellow.
This article contains
IPA
phonetic symbols.
Without proper
rendering support
, you may see
question marks, boxes, or other symbols
instead of
Unicode
characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see
Help:IPA
Hausa
aʊ
in Hausa:
Harshen
Halshen Hausa
listen
/hawˈsa/
Ajami
هَرْشَن هَوْسَا
‎) is a
Chadic language
spoken primarily by the
Hausa people
in
Niger
(where it is the sole official language, having replaced French in 2025)
and in the northern parts of
Nigeria
Ghana
Cameroon
Benin
and
Togo
and the southern parts of
Chad
. It is also spoken by a significant minority in
Ivory Coast
and a small number of speakers in
Sudan
Hausa is a member of the
Afroasiatic language family
and is the most widely spoken language within the
Chadic
branch of that family. Hausa is
tonal
, using relative pitch both to distinguish words, and mark grammatical categories.
Ethnologue
estimated that it was spoken as a first language by some 58 million people and as a
second language
by another 36 million, bringing the total number of Hausa speakers to an estimated 94 million.
In Nigeria, the Hausa film industry is known as
Kannywood
Classification
edit
Main article:
Afroasiatic languages
Hausa belongs to the
West Chadic languages
subgroup of the
Chadic languages
group, which in turn is part of the
Afroasiatic language
family.
Geographic distribution
edit
The
linguistic groups of Nigeria
in 1979
Native speakers of Hausa, the
Hausa people
, are mostly found in southern
Niger
and northern
Nigeria
10
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
By country
edit
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needs additional citations for
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by
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Nigeria
edit
In Nigeria, Hausa is dominant throughout the
north
, though not in the states of
Kwara
Kogi
and
Benue
. States and cities in which Hausa predominates 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
Keffi
and
Abuja
11
Niger
edit
Hausa is spoken by approximately 53% of the population of Niger
12
and was declared the country's official language in 2025.
13
It is commonly spoken in the cities of
Maradi
Diffa
Tahoua
Zinder
Tillaberi
Dosso
, and
Agadez
Cameroon
edit
Hausa is spoken in the north of Cameroon, including the cities of
Ngaoundere
Garoua
, and
Maroua
14
Ghana
edit
Hausa is the lingua franca of the
Zongo communities
across Ghana.
15
Benin
edit
Hausa is spoken in northern Benin, including
Parakou
Kandi
Natitingou
, and
Djougou
16
Togo
edit
Hausa is spoken in northern Togo, including
Sokode
Kara
, and
Dapaong
17
Chad
edit
Hausa is spoken in the southern part of Chad, including
N'Djamena
citation needed
Sudan
edit
In Sudan, Hausa is spoken in
Jazirah
, Darfur,
Blue Nile
, Kassala, Sennar, Gadaref,
18
Kordofan
, Red Sea State, White Nile State, and River Nile.
citation needed
Speakers by country
edit
Hausa is widely used as a lingua franca across much of West Africa and is spoken by people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds across Northern Nigeria and Niger.
Hausa speakers,
Ethnologue
(2025)
Country
Hausa speakers (L1+L2)
Nigeria
67 million
Niger
22 million
Ivory Coast
1.6 million
Benin
1 million
Sudan
900,000
Ghana
600,000
Cameroon
400,000
Chad
300,000
Dialects
edit
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A spoken sample of modern Hausa
Hausa presents a wide uniformity wherever it is spoken.
19
However, linguists have identified dialect areas with a cluster of features characteristic of each one.
20
Traditional dialects
edit
Eastern Hausa
dialects
include
Dauranci
in
Daura
Kananci
in
Kano
Bausanci
in
Bauchi
Gudduranci
and
Katagumci
in
Katagum
Misau
, and part of
Borno
Hadejanci
in
Hadejiya
21
Western Hausa dialects include
Sakkwatanci
in
Sokoto
Katsinanci
in
Katsina
Arewanci
(also a Northern dialect) and
Gobiranci
in
Dogondoutchi
Adaranci
in Ader;
Kabanci
in
Kebbi
Zanhwaranci
in
Zamfara
Kurfayanci
in
Kourfeye
Damagaranci
in
Damagaram
Tibiranci
in Madari.
Katsinanci
is transitional between Eastern and Western dialects.
Sakkwatanci
is used in a variety of classical
Hausa literature
, and is often known as
Classical Hausa
22
Zazzaganci
in
Zazzau
is the major Southern dialect.
23
The Daura (
Dauranci
) and Kano (
Kananci
) dialects 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.
24
Northernmost dialects and loss of tonality
edit
The western to eastern Hausa dialects of
Kurhwayanci
Damagaranci
and
Adaranci
, represent the traditional northernmost limit of native Hausa communities. These are spoken in the northernmost
sahel
and mid-
Saharan
regions in west and central
Niger
in the
Tillaberi
Tahoua
Dosso
Maradi
Agadez
and
Zinder
regions. 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
Sahel
).
25
Ghanaian Hausa dialect
edit
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
for
ky
, and
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
sahel
to coastal regions, in particular the cities of
Accra
Sabon Zango
Nima
),
Takoradi
and
Cape Coast
Gaananci exhibits noted inflected influences from
Zarma
Gur
Jula
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
Côte d'Ivoire
, and Burkina Faso), Hausa is abruptly replaced with
Dioula
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
Mande languages
, Gaananci was historically isolated from the other Hausa dialects.
26
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.
27
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
edit
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
edit
In
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
and
kʼ/ƙ
, which are pronounced by non-native speakers as
and
respectively.
28
29
This creates confusion among non-native and native Hausa speakers, as non-native pronunciation does not distinguish words like
daidai
("correct") and
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
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 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
edit
Gibanawa
Region
Jega, Nigeria
Native speakers
None
30
Language family
Hausa-based
pidgin
Language codes
ISO 639-3
gib
Glottolog
giba1240
ELP
Gibanawa
There are several
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.
30
Loan words
edit
The Hausa language has a long history of borrowing words from other languages, usually from the languages being spoken around and near
Hausaland
31
Word
Language
akwati
- 'box',
agogo
- 'clock',
ashana
- 'matches'
Yoruba
dattijo
- 'old man',
inna
– 'mother',
kawu
– 'uncle'
Fulani
karatu
– 'reading',
rubutu
– 'writing',
birni
– 'city'
Kanuri
Phonology
edit
Consonants
edit
Hausa has between 23 and 25 consonant phonemes depending on the speaker.
Consonant phonemes
Labial
Alveolar
Post-
alveolar
Velar
Glottal
pal.
plain
lab.
Nasal
Plosive
Affricate
implosive
voiced
dʒ
ɡʲ
ɡʷ
tenuis
tʃ
kʲ
kʷ
ejective
tsʼ
sʼ
tʃʼ
kʲʼ
kʼ
kʷʼ
Fricative
voiced
tenuis
Approximant
j̰
Rhotic
The three-way contrast between palatalized
/kʲ
ɡʲ
kʲʼ/
, plain
/k
kʼ/
, and labialized velars
/kʷ
ɡʷ
kʷʼ/
is found only before long and short
/a/
, e.g.
/kʲʼaːɽa/
('grass'),
/kʼaːɽaː/
('to increase'),
/kʷʼaːɽaː/
('shea-nuts'). Before front vowels, only palatalized and labialized velars occur, e.g.
/kʲiːʃiː/
('jealousy') vs.
/kʷiːɓiː/
('side of body'). Before rounded vowels, only labialized velars occur, e.g.
/kʷoːɽaː/
('ringworm').
32
33
Glottalic consonants
edit
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
, sometimes
[ʔb]
ɗ / d', an implosive
, sometimes
[dʔ]
ts', an
ejective consonant
[tsʼ]
or
[sʼ]
, according to the dialect;
ch', an ejective
tʃʼ
(does not occur in Kano dialect)
ƙ / k', an ejective
[kʼ]
[kʲʼ]
and
[kʷʼ]
are separate consonants;
ƴ / 'y is a
palatal
approximant
with
creaky voice
[j̰]
34
found in only a small number of high-frequency words (e.g.
/j̰áːj̰áː/
"children",
/j̰áː/
"daughter"). Historically it developed from palatalized
35
Vowels
edit
Hausa vowel chart, from
Schuh & Yalwa (1999
:91). The short vowels
/i,
u,
a/
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.
Front
Central
Back
Close
i iː
u uː
Mid
e eː
o oː
Open
a aː
In comparison with the long vowels, the short
/i,
u/
can be similar in quality to the long vowels,
mid-centralized
to
or centralized to
36
Medial
/i,
u/
can be neutralized to
, with the rounding depending on the environment.
37
Medial
/e,
o/
are neutralized with
/a/
37
The short
/a/
can be either similar in quality to the long
/aː/
, or it can be as high as
, with possible intermediate pronunciations (
).
36
The 4 diphthongs in Hausa are
/ai,
au,
iu,
ui/
Tones
edit
Hausa is a
tonal language
. Each of its five
vowels
may have low tone, high tone or falling tone.
38
In standard written Hausa, tone is not marked. In recent linguistic and pedagogical materials, tone is marked by means of diacritics.
à è ì ò ù
– low tone:
grave accent
â ê î ô û
– falling tone:
circumflex
An
acute accent
) may be used for high tone, but the usual practice is to leave high tone unmarked.
Morphology
edit
Nouns
edit
Except for the
Zaria
and
Bauchi
dialects spoken south of
Kano
, Hausa distinguishes between masculine and feminine genders.
22
Hausa, like the rest of the
Chadic languages
in particular and
Afro-Asiatic languages
in general, 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).
39
Class
Affix
Singular (ex.)
Plural (ex.)
Gloss (ex.)
a-a
sirdì
sir
'saddle'
a-e
gulbi
gul
'stream'
a-u
kurmì
kur
'grove'
-aCe
wuri
wur
'place'
-ai
malàm
malàm
ai
'teacher'
-anni
watà
wàt
ànni
'moon'
-awa
talàkà
talak
awa
'commoner'
-aye
zomo
zom
àye
'hare'
-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
'star'
15
-oCi
tagà
tag
ogi
'window'
16
-u
kujèra
kùjèr
'chair'
17
u-a
cokàli
cok
'spoon'
18
-uka
layi
lay
ukà
'lane'
19
-una
rìga
rig
unà
'gown'
20
X2
àkàwu
àkàwu-
àkàwu
'clerk'
Pronouns
edit
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.
40
Thus Hausa is a
non pro-drop language
Time, aspect, and mood
41
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
indef
singular
plural
singular
plural
singular
plural
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
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
(possessives)
bâː ni
bâː mu
bâː ka
bâː ki
bâː ku
bâː ʃi
bâː ta
bâː su
bâː a
subjunctive
ìn
mù
kà
kì
kù
jà
tà
sù
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
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 /
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 /
bà/bàː zaː jà ... ba
bà/bàː zaː tà ... ba
bà/bàː zaː sù ... ba
bà/bàː zaː à ... ba
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
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
Verbs
edit
Hausa
verbs
are classified into 7 grades:
42
43
Grade
Suffix (no object)
Tonal pattern
Semantics
Example
-ā
H-L(-H),
H-L(-L)
mostly
transitive
verbs
kāmā̀
(to take)
-ā
L-H(-L),
(L-)L-H
transitive
verbs
sàyā
(to buy)
-a,
-i
L-H(-L),
H-L (rare)
intransitive
verbs
shìga
(to enter)
-ē
H-L(-H),
H-L(-L)
mostly
intransitive
verbs expressing the completion of an action
riƙḕ
(to hold)
-ar
-ad
H-H(-H)
mostly
transitive
verbs with a
causative
meaning
mayar̃
(to put back)
-ō
H-H(-H)
mostly
transitive
verbs expressing an action performed near the speaker
kāwō
(to bring)
-u
(L-)-L-H
intransitive
verbs with a
passive
meaning
kā̀mu
(to get captured)
Unlike most languages, Hausa verbs are not conjugated for
tense-aspect-mood
, but rather for the type of object that follows them.
43
Grade
No object
Followed by a pronoun
Followed by a noun
Followed by an indirect object
-ā
-ā
-a
-ā
-ā
-ē
-ī
(unpredictable)
-a
(unpredictable)
-ē
-ē
-e
-ē
-ar
(-ar) da,
-she
(-ar) da
-ar
-ō
-ō
-ō
-ō
-u
Also note that Hausa has many
irregular verbs
that do not conform to the systems above.
Writing systems
edit
Boko
(Latin)
edit
Main article:
Boko alphabet
Hausa's modern official
orthography
is a
Latin-based alphabet
called
boko
, which was introduced in the 1930s by the British colonial administration.
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
/a/
/b/
/tʃ/
/d/
/e/
/ɡ/
/h/
/i/
/(d)ʒ/
/k/
/kʼ/
/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
/m/
/n/
/o/
/s/
/ʃ/
/t/
/(t)sʼ/
/u/
/w/
/j/
/ʄ/
/z/
/ʔ/
The letter
(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,
/dàɡà/
"from" and
/dáːɡáː/
"battle" are both written
daga
. The distinction between
/r/
and
/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)
edit
Main article:
Hausa Ajami
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.
44
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
constellations
and
calendars
45
As
Hausa Ajami
script was never recognized and regulated officially, there has never been a top down imposition of a unified convention. Standardization of letters in Ajami has happened over time and in various stages, in synch with neighbouring Ajami traditions, as well as external factors.
46
47
In
Niger
and
Nigeria
, there exists two general orthographic traditions, each derived from two Quranic orthographic practices.
48
One of these is based on the Quran recitation and inscription of the 8th century religious scholar
Hafs ibn Sulayman
, the other based on the Quran recitation and inscription of another 8th Century scholar,
Warsh
Hafs
tradition is the most popular across the
Muslim world
, and especially in
Egypt
, the
Levant
, and the
Arabian Peninsula
Warsh
tradition is the second most popular tradition across the Muslim world, and has been especially popular in
North Africa
West Africa
, and
Andalusia
For example, vowels in Hausa Ajami script, including representation of vowel [e], and differentiation of short versus long vowels, were one of the first aspects to be unified and standardized. Consonants on the other hand, especially consonant letters for representing sounds that don't exist in Arabic, took longer to become standardized. Some new letters were even coined in the late 19th and early 20th century, and because of the direct influence of the
Boko alphabet
(Latin alphabet). For example, whereas previously in writing, sounds [b] and [ɓ] may have usually been written with a singe letter
ba
‎', it was the innovation of introducing the separate letter in Latin alphabet that created an impetus for scholars writing in Ajami script, to innovate and introduce a separate Ajami letter for the distinct sound as well.
47
Below is the list of letters of Hausa Ajami, in both
Warsh
and
Hafs
traditions. Beige highlight marks letters that are only used for writing of loan words of Arabic or European origin. Green highlight marks letters that are innovations of Hausa orthography and are not used in
Arabic language
Hausa Ajami (Warsh Convention)
47
49
Letter
(Naskh)
Letter
(Hausawi/Kanuri)
Latin Equivalent
IPA
Unicode
‌-
A a
aː
U+0627
‌B b
U+0628
‌Ɓ ɓ
U+0751
‌T t
U+062A
‌C c
t͡ʃ
U+062B
‌J j
d͡ʒ
U+062C
‌H h
U+062D
‌H h
(Kh kh)
U+062E
‌D d
U+062F
‌Z z
U+0630
‌R r
U+0631
‌Z z
U+0632
‌S s
U+0633
‌Sh sh (
Ch ch(
U+0634
‌S s
U+0635
‌L l
U+0636
‌Ɗ ɗ
U+0637
Z z
U+0638
‌Ts ts
t͡s
sʼ
U+069F
‌ʼ
U+0639
‌G g
U+063A
‌Gw gw
Gy gy
ɡʷ
ɡʲ
U+08C3
U+06A0
ࢻـ ࢻ
ࢻـ ࢻ
‌F f
U+088B
P p
U+06A5
ࢼـ ࢼ
ࢼـ ࢼ
‌Ƙ ƙ
U+08BC
ࣄـ ࣄ
‌Ƙw ƙw
Ƙy ƙy
ƙʷ
ƙʲ
U+08C4
U+06A8
‌K k
U+06A9
‌Kw kw
Ky ky
kʷ
kʲ
U+0763
‌L l
U+0644
‌M m
U+0645
ࢽـ ࢽ
ࢽـ ࢽ
‌N n
U+08BD
هـ ه
هـ ه
‌H h
U+0647
‌W w
O o
U u
oː
uː
U+0648
‌Y y
I i
iː
U+06CC
ىٰ
ىٰ
‌E e
eː
U+0649
plus
U+0670
ؿـ ؿ
ؿـ ؿ
‌ˈy (
Ƴ ƴ(
ˀj
U+063F
Hausa Ajami (Hafs Convention)
50
Letter
(Naskh)
Latin Equivalent
IPA
Unicode
‌-
A a
aː
U+0627
‌B b
U+0628
‌Ɓ ɓ
U+067B
‌T t
U+062A
‌C c
t͡ʃ
U+062B
‌J j
d͡ʒ
U+062C
‌H h
U+062D
‌H h
(Kh kh)
U+062E
‌D d
U+062F
‌Z z
U+0630
‌R r
U+0631
‌Z z
U+0632
‌S s
U+0633
‌Sh sh (
Ch ch(
U+0634
‌S s
U+0635
‌L l
U+0636
‌Ɗ ɗ
U+0637
Z z
U+0638
‌Ts ts
t͡s
sʼ
U+069F
‌ʼ
U+0639
‌G g
U+063A
‌Gw gw
Gy gy
ɡʷ
ɡʲ
U+06A0
‌F f
U+0641
P p
U+06A5
‌Ƙ ƙ
U+0642
‌Ƙw ƙw
Ƙy ƙy
ƙʷ
ƙʲ
U+06A8
‌K k
U+0643
‌Ƙ ƙ
Ky ky
kʷ
kʲ
U+06AD
‌L l
U+0644
‌M m
U+0645
‌N n
U+0646
هـ ه
‌H h
U+0647
‌W w
O o
U u
oː
uː
U+0648
‌Y y
I i
iː
U+064A
ىٰ
‌E e
eː
U+0649
plus
U+0670
ۑـ ۑ
‌ˈy (
Ƴ ƴ(
ˀj
U+06D1
Other systems
edit
Main article:
Hausa Braille
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
51
and in use north of
Maradi
, Niger.
52
failed verification
53
54
A script that apparently originated with the writing/publishing group Raina Kama in the 1980s.
55
A script called "Tafi" proposed in the 1970s(?)
56
Oral literature
edit
Introduction to Hausa proverbs in Rattray (1913)
In 1905, George Charleton Merrick (a British army officer and Hausa interpreter)
57
published
Hausa Proverbs,
a collection of over 400 proverbs in Hausa (Roman script) with English translations.
58
Here are some of those proverbs:
Fawa biu tana bata hankali'n kuda.
" "Two pieces of meat confuse the mind of the fly (i.e to hesitate between two things)." (#18)
Da ayi jiranka ga abinchi, gara akayi ka jira'n abinchi.
" "Better that you should be made to wait for food than that food should be made to wait for you." (#26)
Kunkurru ya so dambe, ba shi da yasa.
" "The tortoise wishes to fight with his fists, but he has no fingers (i.e. impotent wrath)." (#45)
Komi ya ke chikkin dan kaza, shafu ya deddi da sanninshi.
" "Whatever there is inside a chicken, the hawk has been familiar with it for a very long time (i.e. there is not much that you can teach me about that)." (#47)
Kaffa'n woni ba ta wa woni taffia.
" "The legs of one man are no good to another for walking." (#61)
Charles Henry Robinson's
Hausa Grammar
, also published in 1905, contains a selection of proverbs in Hausa (Roman script) with English translations; here are a few of those proverbs:
59
Giwa awani gari zomo.
" "An elephant is a hare in another town (i.e. a great man is a nobody where no one knows him)."
Idan ka rubuta ya tabbatta, idan ka kiyaye ya gudu.
" "If you write, the writing remains; if you keep a thing in your mind, it flees away."
Alberkachin kaza kadangari shi kan sha ruan kasko.
" "Thanks to the fowl, the lizard finds water to drink in the pot (i.e. if there were no fowls, there would be no water put out; this is said when a man gains some benefit through no virtue of his own)."
Karambanin akwai ta gaida kura.
" "It is no business of the goat to salute the hyena; i.e. if a man meddles with that which does not concern him, he has only himself to thank for his misfortune."
Haukan kaza amren musuru.
" "It is madness for the fowl to marry a cat (i.e. the meaning is practically the same as the preceding)."
A collection of over 100 Hausa proverbs in both Hausa and English translation appears in Volume 2 of
R. S. Rattray
's
Hausa Folklore, Customs, Proverbs, etc. by Malam Shaihu
60
The Hausa text is printed both in Arabic script as provided by Malam Shaihu, a
Kano
-born Hausa teacher,
61
and in Roman transliteration provided by Rattray. Here are some of those proverbs:
Hanchi bai san dadin gishiri ba.
" "The nose does not know the flavor of the salt." (#7)
Kinwa che ba ta gida, domin hakanan bera ke gada.
" "The cat is not at home, because of that the mice are playing." (#15)
Kaza mai-yaya, ita ke tsoro shirwa.
" "It is the hen with chicks that fears the hawk." (#21)
Gingidin kunama, kowa ya taba, shi sha kashi.
" "The snoozing scorpion, whoever touches it (quickly) gets a blow." (#39)
Harara bai mari ba.
" "A frown is not a slap (it does not hurt)." (#43)
Cover of AJN Tremearne's Hausa Folktales (1914) showing Gizo the Spider
Rattray also includes 30 stories told in Hausa by Malam Shaihu: 21 stories with human characters in volume 1,
62
and 9 animal stories in volume 2,
63
featuring a cycle of stories about Gizo, the
trickster spider of Hausa tradition
There are several other collections of traditional Hausa tales available in both Hausa and English translation.
J.F. Schon
's
Magana Hausa
of 1885 includes the Hausa text of 83 tales with an English translation available in some, but not all, editions.
64
In 1914,
A.J.N. Tremearne
published the Hausa texts of over 170 Hausa stories in
Hausa Folktales
65
which features Gizo the trickster spider on its cover, with English translations having appeared earlier in Tremearne's
Hausa Superstitions and Customs
66
and other publications. More recently, Neil Skinner's
Hausa Tales and Traditions
67
provides English translations of the stories that first appeared in 1924 in Frank Edgar’s
Tatsuniyoyi na Hausa
68
Example text
edit
Article 1 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
in Hausa:
Duk ‘yan adam ana haihuwarsu ne a matsayin ‘yantattun ‘ya’ya, kuma mutuncinsu da haƙƙoƙinsu daidai yake da na kowa. Suna da tunani da cikakken hankali, saboda haka ake son duk mu’amalar da za su yi, ta kasance akwai ‘yan’uwantaka a tsakani.
69
Article 1 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
in English
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
70
See also
edit
Languages portal
History of Niger
History of Nigeria
Kanem Empire
Klingenheben's law
– Hausa-language sound law
Bornu Empire
Bayajidda
Notes
edit
Only countries with at least 100,000 speakers are shown.
rare
t, d/z, s, and w become c, j, sh, and y, respectively, before -ē.
the suffix -ar becomes -ad before the preposition
dà
, which is required before a direct object.
References
edit
Hausa language
at
Ethnologue
(28th ed., 2025)
Bauer (2007)
, p. ?.
Okafor, Chinedu (8 April 2025).
"Niger downgrades French as it distances from its colonial past with a new official language"
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2025
Wolff, H. Ekkehard.
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Encyclopædia Britannica
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14 October
2020
"Spread of the Hausa Language"
Worldmapper
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"Hausa"
. Ethnologue
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2024
Chayes.
"The Hausa Language"
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. Retrieved
15 February
2022
"Nigerian actress Rahama Sadau banned after on-screen hug"
BBC News
. 3 October 2016
. Retrieved
29 October
2020
"Chadic languages | Britannica"
www.britannica.com
. Retrieved
15 February
2022
Sani, M. A. Z. (1999).
Tsarin sauti da nahawun hausa
. Ibadan [Nigeria]: University Press.
ISBN
978-978-030-535-2
OCLC
48668741
Simwa, Adrianna (21 June 2018).
"List of states in Nigeria predominantly inhabited by the Hausas"
Legit.ng
. Retrieved
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2024
"The Languages of Niger: Hausa"
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. 14 November 2022
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2024
République du Niger, "The massive African country that's just adopted a new official language" express.co.uk
(accessed 20 April 2025)
"Hausa – Boston University"
(PDF)
Boston University
. Retrieved
5 July
2024
"The history of the Hausa people in Ghana"
GhanaWeb
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maps.lib.utexas.edu
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2024
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2025
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Voice of America
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Department, United States Army; Army, United States Department of the (1964).
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. U.S. Government Printing Office.
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African Languages at UCLA
. Retrieved
14 October
2020
"The Hausa Language – Department of African Studies"
www.iaaw.hu-berlin.de
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Caron, Bernard (2011).
Hausa Grammatical Sketch
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The Punch
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17 February
2022
onnaedo (31 August 2021).
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2022
Bodomo, Adams B. (1996).
"On Language and Development in Africa: The Case of Ghana"
(PDF)
Nordic Journal of African Studies
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31–
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. Retrieved
17 July
2021
– via University of Helsinki.
Guerini, Federica.
"Multilingualism and language attitudes in Ghana: a preliminary survey"
(PDF)
Ethnorêma
. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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2021
"Hausa Language Variation and Dialects"
African Languages at UCLA
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2024
Mazrui, Ali AlʼAmin; Mazrui, Alamin M.; Mazrui, Alamin (3 August 1998).
The Power of Babel: Language and Governance in the African Experience
. University of Chicago Press. pp. 130, 189.
ISBN
978-0-226-51429-1
Gibanawa
at
Ethnologue
(25th ed., 2022)
Kirk-Greene, A. H. M. (1963).
"Neologisms in Hausa: A Sociological Approach"
Africa: Journal of the International African Institute
33
(1):
25–
44.
doi
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ISSN
0001-9720
JSTOR
1157795
S2CID
143323447
Schuh & Yalwa (1999)
, p. 91.
Newman, Paul (1996).
"Hausa Phonology"
(PDF)
. In Kaye, Alan S.; Daniels, Peter T. (eds.).
Phonologies of Asia and Africa
. Eisenbrauns. pp.
537–
552.
Hausa ejectives and laryngealized consonants
. Sound files hosted by the University of California at Los Angeles, from: Ladefoged, Peter:
A Course in Phonetics. 5th ed.
Thomson/Wadsworth
Newman, Paul (1937/2000) The Hausa Language: an encyclopedic reference grammar. Yale University Press. p. 397.
Schuh & Yalwa (1999)
, pp. 90–91.
Schuh & Yalwa (1999)
, p. 90.
Schuh, R. G. (2015).
Basics of Hausa Phonology.
UCLA.
Guzmán Naranjo, Matías; Becker, Laura (April 2017).
Quantitative methods in African Linguistics – Predicting plurals in Hausa
(PDF)
. ACAL 48. Indiana, U.S.
"Hausa Verb Tense – African Languages at UCLA"
. Archived from
the original
on 11 November 2020
. Retrieved
7 May
2021
Bernard Caron. Hausa Grammatical Sketch. 2015.
Hausa Grammatical Sketch – HAL-SHS
Kraft, Charles H.
(1973).
Teach Yourself Hausa
Teach Yourself
. pp.
145–
153.
ISBN
0340263938
"Hausa Verb Forms – African Languages at UCLA"
. Retrieved
8 January
2025
"Hausa language"
Britannica
. Retrieved
31 May
2022
Verde, Tom (October 2011).
"From Africa, in Ajami"
Saudi Aramco World
. Archived from
the original
on 30 November 2014
. Retrieved
25 May
2014
Dobronravine, N., Philips, J.E., 2004. Hausa ajami literature and script: colonial innovations and post-colonial myths in northern Nigeria. Lang. Africa 15, 85–110. Retrieved from.
[1]
. (
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Bondarev, Dmitry and Dobronravin, Nikolay and Bondarev, Dmitry and Gori, Alessandro and Souag, Lameen. Standardisation Tendencies in Kanuri and Hausa Ajami Writings. 2019. DOI: 10.1515/9783110639063-010
A.Brockett,
Studies in Two Transmission of the Qur'an
, doctorate thesis, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, 1984, p.138
"Hausa (Ajami) orthography notes"
Wali Naʼibi Sulaimanu and Haliru Binji. (1969).
Mu Koyi Ajami Da Larabci
/ مُکُوْیِ أَجَمِ دَ لَارَبْثِی. Zaria: Northern Nigerian Pub. ISBN 978-978-169-120-0
"Salifou Hausa"
scriptsource.org
. Retrieved
10 April
2024
"Hausa alphabet"
Riley, Charles L. (3 March 2022).
"L2/22-073 Update on implementation status of African scripts"
(PDF)
. Unicode Consortium. p. 2
. Retrieved
19 July
2023
"ScriptSource – Salifou Hausa"
scriptsource.org
. Retrieved
19 July
2023
"Hausa alphabet from a 1993 publication"
www.bisharat.net
. Retrieved
20 April
2018
"Hausa alphabet from a 1993 publication"
www.bisharat.net
. Retrieved
20 April
2018
C. G. G. (1913).
"The Upavon Incident."
The Aeroplane
: 408.
Merrick, George C. (1905).
Hausa Proverbs.
Robinson, Charles H. (1905).
Hausa Grammar.
pp. 91–106.
Rattray, R. S. (1913).
Hausa Folklore, Customs, Proverbs, etc. by Malam Shaihu: Volume 2.
pp. 252–279.
Bivins, Mary Wren (1997). "Daura and Gender in the Creation of a Hausa National Epic."
African Languages and Cultures
. 10: 12.
Rattray, R. S. (1913).
Hausa Folklore, Customs, Proverbs, etc. by Malam Shaihu: Volume 1.
Rattray, R. S. (1913).
Hausa Folklore, Customs, Proverbs, etc. by Malam Shaihu: Volume 2.
pp. 10–149.
Schön, James Frederick (1885).
Magana Hausa, to Which Is Added a Translation in English.
Tremearne, Arthur John Newman (1914).
Hausa Folktales: The Hausa Text of the Stories in Hausa Superstitions and Customs, in Folk-lore, and in Other Publications.
Tremearne, Arthur John Newman (1913).
Hausa Superstitions and Customs
Skinner, Neil (1969).
Hausa Tales and Traditions: An English Translation of Tatsuniyoyi na Hausa
Edgar, Frank (1924).
Tatsuniyoyi na Hausa.
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights"
ohchr.org
Archived
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. Retrieved
26 September
2024
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights"
. United Nations.
Archived
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. Retrieved
7 January
2022
Bibliography
edit
Philips, John Edward
. “Hausa in the Twentieth Century: An Overview.” in
Sudanic Africa,
vol. 15, 2004, pp. 55–84.
online
, on Romanization of the language.
Bauer, Laurie (2007).
The Linguistics Student's Handbook
. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
ISBN
978-0-7486-2758-5
Schuh, Russell G.; Yalwa, Lawan D. (1999). "Hausa".
Handbook of the International Phonetic Association
. Cambridge University Press. pp.
90–
95.
ISBN
0-521-63751-1
Charles Henry Robinson; William Henry Brooks; Hausa Association, London (1899).
Dictionary of the Hausa Language: Hausa–English
. The Oxford University Press.
Schön, James Frederick (Rev.) (1882).
Grammar of the Hausa language
. London: Church Missionary House. p. 270
. Retrieved
19 October
2018
– via
archive.org
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (
link
(Now in the
public domain
).
External links
edit
Hausa edition
of
Wikipedia
, the free encyclopedia
Scholia
has a
topic
profile for
Hausa language
Omniglot
Hausa Language Acquisitions
at Columbia University Libraries
Hausa Vocabulary List
–World Loanword Database
Hausa Dictionary
at
University of Vienna
Hausar Yau Da Kullum:
–Intermediate and Advanced Lessons in Hausa Language and Culture
Robinson, Charles Henry. (1899)
Hausa-English Dictionary
, in both Latin and Ajami, Vol 1.
Hausa language
at Wikipedia's
sister projects
Definitions
from Wiktionary
Media
from Commons
Textbooks
from Wikibooks
Phrasebook
from Wikivoyage
Hausa edition
of Wikipedia
Data
from Wikidata
West Chadic languages
Hausa–
Gwandara
(A.1)
Gwandara
Hausa
Bole–
Tangale
(A.2)
Bole
Ɓeele
Bole
Bure
Daza
Deno
Galambu
Gera
Geruma
Giiwo
Karai-karai
Kubi
Ngamo
Maaka
Pali
Tangale
Goji
Kanakuru
Kholok
Kulung
Kutto
Kwaami
Nyam
Pero
Piya-Kwonci
Tangale
Angas
(A.3)
Belnəng
Cakfem-Mushere
Chakato
(Jorto)
Goemai
Jibyal
Koenoem
Miler
Miship
Montol
Mwaghavul
Ngas
Nteng
Pan
Pyapun
Tal
Yiwom
Ron
(A.4)
Duhwa
Fyer
Kulere
Mundat
Ron
Bokkos
Daffo-Butura
Shagawu
Sha
Tambas
Bade
(B.1)
Auyokawa
Bade
Shirawa
Ɗuwai
Ngizim
Teshenawa
North Bauchi
(Warji) (B.2)
Ajawa
Ciwogai
Diri
Kariya
Mburku
Miya
Paʼa
Siri
Warji
Zumbun
South Bauchi
(Barawa) (B.3)
Zaar
Dass
Geji
Polci
Saya
Zari
Zeem
Guruntum
Guruntum-Mbaaru
Ju
Tala
Zangwal
Boghom
Boghom
Jimi
Jum
Kir-Balar
Mangas
Others
Poki
Italics
indicate
extinct languages
. See also:
Chadic languages
Languages of Cameroon
Official languages
French
Major languages
Bamum
Bulu
Duala
Ewondo
Fulfulde
Kom
Lamnso
Medumba
Pidgins
Cameroonian Pidgin English
Camfranglais
Ewondo Populaire
Arabic
Indigenous and Immigrant
languages
Chadian Arabic
Afade
Aghem
Babanki
Bafaw-Balong
Bafia
Baka
Baldemu
Bamali
Bambalang
Bana
Bangolan
Bankon
Bata
Bati
Batu
Bebele
Bebil
Beti
Bikya
Bishuo
Bitare
Bomwali
Bonkeng
Bube
Bung
Buwal
Byep
Caka
Ceve
Chamba Leko
Cuvok
Daba
Dowayo
Ɗugwor
Duli
Eman
Esimbi
Eton
Evant
Faʼ
Fang
Fanji
Feʼfeʼ
Fut
Gawar
Ghomalaʼ
Gidar
Glavda
Gude
Gunu
Gvoko
Hausa
Hdi
Hijuk
Hina
Hya
Ipulo
Iyive
Jimi
Jina
Kaalong
Kako
Kali
Kanuri
Kare
Kasabe
Kera
Ki
Kogo
Kol
Koma
Kpwe
Kuo
Kutin
Kwaʼ
Kwakum
Kwasio
Laʼbi
Lagwan
Limba
Limbum
Luo
Maɗa
Mafa
Majera
Makaa
Malgbe
Manenguba
Mangbai
Manza
Maslam
Massa
Matal
Mazagway
Mbəʼ
Mboa
Mbudum
Mbuko
Mbule
Mbum
Mefele
Məgaka
Mengisa
Menyam
Merey
Mesaka
Mfumte
Mofu-Gudur
Moloko
Mono
Mpade
Mpumpong
Mser
Mundang
Mungaka
Musgu
Muyang
Nagumi
Ndaʼndaʼ
Ndai
Nen
Ngaʼka
Ngambay
Ngiemboon
Ngomba
Ngombale
Ngwe
Nimbari
Njem
Njerep
Nkongho
Noho
Noni
North Giziga
North Mofu
Northwest Gbaya
Nyokon
Nyong
Nzakambay
Nzanyi
Nzime
Oblo
Oroko
Pam
Papia
Parkwa
Pinyin
Pol
Pongo
Psikyɛ
Rombi
Sharwa
South Giziga
Suwu
Swo
Tibea
Tikar
To
Tsuvan
Tupuri
Vame
Vemgo-Mabas
Vengo
Vere
Voko
Wom
Wuzlam
Yamba
Yambe
Yasa
Yedina
Yemba
Yeni
Zizilivakan
Zulgo-Gemzek
Zumaya
Sign languages
Francophone African Sign Language
Maroua Sign Language
Immigrant languages
French
Punjabi
Spanish
German
Italian
Hindi
Hebrew
Arabic
Chinese
Portuguese
Japanese
Russian
Danish
Dutch
See also:
General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages
Languages of Chad
Official languages
French
Arabic
Indigenous languages
Bagirmi
Bongor Arabic
Chadian Arabic
Daza(ga)
Hausa
Kanembu
Maba
Ngambay
Sara
Teda
Mser
Immigrant languages
French
Arabic
Chinese
Portuguese
Japanese
Russian
Danish
Dutch
Languages of
Niger
Official language
Hausa
National languages
Arabic
Buduma
Fulfulde
Gurma
Kanuri
Songhai
Tassawaq
Toubou
Tamajeq
Zarma
Other languages
Air Tamajeq
Chadian Arabic
Daza
Kaado
Tamahaq
Working language
French
Immigrant languages
French
Irish
Arabic
Yemeni
Hungarian
Chinese
Putonghua
Japanese
Languages of Nigeria
Official languages
National languages
Hausa
Igbo
Yoruba
Recognised languages
Berom
Ebira
Edo
Efik-Ibibio
Fulfulde
Gbagyi
Idoma
Igala
Ijaw
Isoko
Izere
Jju
Jukun
Kanuri
Nupe
Karai-karai
Tiv
Tyap
Ukwuani
Urhobo
Indigenous languages
Indigenous languages
(grouped by
Nigerian state
Adamawa
Baa
Bacama
Bali
Bata
Boga
Bura
Chamba Leko
Daba
Daka
Dong
Fali of Mubi
Ga'anda
Gaa
Gude
Gudu
Holma
Huba
Hwana
Hya
Kamwe
Kanakuru
Kirya-Konzəl
Kofa
Koma
Kpasam
Kugama
Kumba
Lamang
Longuda
Margi
Margi South
Mumuye
Ngwaba
Nyong
Nzanyi
Psikyɛ
Sukur
Taram
Teme
Tso
Vere
Waja
Wom
Yendang
Zizilivakan
Akwa Ibom
Anaang
Ekit
Ibibio
Obolo
Oron
Bauchi
Ɓeele
Bole
Bure
Ciwogai
Dass
Dazawa
Deno
Dikaka
Dulbu
Galambu
Gera
Geruma
Giiwo
Guruntum
Jalaa
Jarawa
Jimi
Karekare
Kariya
Kir-Balar
Kubi
Kushi
Kusur–Myet
Kutto
Kwaami
Labir
Longuda
Mangas
Mburku
Miya
Pa'a
Piya
Polci
Shiki
Siri
Tso
Warji
Zangwal
Zumbun
Bayelsa
Izon
Epie
Urhobo-Isoko
Southeast Ijo
Benue
Eggon
Igede
Borno
Afade
Bura
Cibak
Cineni
Dghwede
Glavda
Gude
Guduf-Gava
Gvoko
Jara
Jilbe
Kamwe
Kanakuru
Lamang
Maaka
Mafa
Margi
Margi South
Nggwahyi
Putai
Tera
Wandala
Yedina
Cross River
Abanyom
Efik
Mbe
Mbembe
Delta
Urhobo-Isoko
Ika
Izon
Isoko
Ukwuani
Uhrobo
Edo
Afenmai
Ishan
Bini
Gombe
Awak
Bangwinji
Bole
Dadiya
Jara
Kamo
Ngamo
Pero
Tangale
Tera
Tula
Waja
Jigawa
Bade
Teshenawa
Kaduna
Adara
Ahwai
Anib
Atsam
Ayu
Berom
Bu-Ninkada
Bina
Bishi
Cori
Doka
Dungu
Duya
Ekhwa
Gbagyi-Gbari
Gwandara
Gyong
Hasha
Hausa
Hyam
Ikulu
Jju
Kaivi
Kinuku
Koonu
Kuzamani
Mada
Mala
Nghan
Nikyob-Nindem
Ninzo
Numana
Nungu
Nyankpa
Ruma
Sambe
Sha
Shamang
T'kurmi
Timap
TiSeni
Tivori
Toro
Tugbiri-Niragu
Tumi
Tyap (Fantswam, Gworog, Sholyio, Takad, Tyap Mabatado, Tyecharak, Tyuku)
Vono
Wachi
Zhire
Kano
Ɗuwai
Hausa
Tikurmi
Kebbi
Cipu
Damakawa
Hun-Saare
Kogi
Basa-Benue
Bassa Nge
Igala
Nupe
Oworo
Kwara
Kakanda
Kupa
Nupe
Nasarawa
Ake
Alumu
Basa-Benue
Duhwa
Eggon
Hasha
Jili
Toro
Niger
Asu
Bariba
Cipu
Gbagyi
Gwandara
Jijili
Kakanda
Nupe
Pongu
Ondo
Itsekiri
Izon
Ukaan
Plateau
Barkul
Berom
Bogghom
Bole
Cakfem-Mushere
Dass
Fyam
Fyer
Goemai
Horom
Izere
Jorto
Koenoem
Kofyar
Kulere
Miship
Montol
Mundat
Mwaghavul
Ngas
Pe
Pyapun
Rigwe
Ron
Sha
Sur
Tal
Tambas
Tarok
Tyap (Takad)
Yankam
Yiwom
Rivers
Abua
Baan
Biseni
Defaka
Degema
Ekpeye
Eleme
Engenni
Gokana
Ijaw
Ikwerre
Kalabari
Khana
Kugbo
Nkoroo
O’chi’chi
Obolo
Obulom
Odual
Ogba
Ogbogolo
Ogbronuagum
Ogoni
Okodia
Oruma
Tee
Ukwuani-Aboh-Ndoni
Taraba
Baissa Fali
Bete
Buru
Dadiya
Donga
Kholok
Kpati
Laka
Lufu
Mumuye
Nyam
Nyingwom
Pangseng
Rang
Tarok
Waja
Waka
Yendang
Yoti
Yobe
Bade
Bole
Ɗuwai
Karekare
Ngamo
Ngizim
Sign languages
Nigerian Sign Language
Bura Sign Language
Hausa Sign Language
Immigrant languages
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Italian
German
Danish
Dutch
Russian
Arabic
Hebrew
Punjabi
Hindi
Romani
Japanese
Chinese
Scripts
Pan-Nigerian alphabet
Nigerian braille
Medefaidrin
Hausa people
Architecture
Day
Folk-lore
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Language
Marriage
Music
People
List
Authority control databases
National
United States
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Japan
Czech Republic
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Other
IdRef
Yale LUX
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Categories
Hausa language
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Subject–verb–object languages
Languages of Benin
Languages of Burkina Faso
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Languages of Ghana
Languages of Niger
Languages of Nigeria
Languages of Sudan
Languages of Togo
Languages of Ivory Coast
Lingua francas
Languages with a Translation of the Bible
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