Hausa language

The Hausa language is the language of the Afro-Asiatic family of the Chádic group. It is the most spoken Chadic language, with 50 million speakers as a native language, called Hausa, and another 45 million as a second native language. This language is spoken mainly in southern Niger and northern Nigeria. It has become a lingua franca in much of West Africa for commercial reasons.

Classification

The Hausa language belongs to the Western Chadic languages, a subgroup of the Chadic languages, and is therefore a member of the Afroasiatic languages. It is a tonal language.

Geographic distribution

Native speakers are found in Niger and northern Nigeria, but it is used as a lingua franca in a larger area in West Africa, especially among Muslims.

Culture

• Hausa music

Relevant people

• Bilkisu Funtuwa, writer