
A History of the Hausa Language
Reconstruction and Pathways to the Present
Paul Newman(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 8. August 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
252 pages
978-1-009-12430-0 (ISBN)
Description
With more than sixty million speakers across Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Ghana Hausa is one of the most widely spoken African languages. It is known for its rich phonology and complex morphological and verbal systems. Written by the world's leading expert on Hausa, this ground-breaking book is a synthesis of his life's work, and provides a lucid and comprehensive history of the language. It describes Hausa as it existed in former times and sets out subsequent changes in phonology, including tonology, morphology, grammar, and lexicon. It also contains a large loanword inventory, which highlights the history of Hausa's interaction with other languages and peoples. It offers new insights not only on Hausa in the past, but also on the Hausa language as spoken today. This book is an invaluable resource for specialists in Hausa, Chadic, Afroasiatic, and other African languages as well as for general historical linguists and typologists.
Reviews / Votes
'... a must read for specialists in Hausa, Chadic, Afroasiatic and other African languages, as well as for general linguists and typologists.' Bernard Caron, Journal of African Languages and LinguisticsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
371 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-12430-0 (9781009124300)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
03/2022
Cambridge University Press
€140.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Newman is regarded as the pre-eminent scholar on the Chadic family as a whole and on the Hausa language in particular, he was a founding editor of the Journal of African Languages and Linguistics, now approaching its 40th year, and a charter member of the advisory board of the online journal Language Documentation & Conservation. His areas of specialization in teaching and research include African languages (especially Hausa), historical linguistics, morphophonology, tone, field methods, lexicography, and language and law.
Content
Preface; 1. The hausa language; 2. Phonology; 3. Morphology; 4. Syntax-grammar; 5. Loanwords; 6. Lexicon and etymologies; 7. Conclusion.