Hausa

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A language of Nigeria

ISO 639-3
hau
Alternate Names
Abakwariga, Habe, Haoussa, Hausawa, Kado, Mgbakpa
Population

18,500,000 in Nigeria (1991 SIL). Population total all countries: 24,988,000.

Location

Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Gombe states. Also in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Germany, Ghana, Niger, Sudan, Togo.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in northern region.

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Chadic, West, A, A.1
Dialects

Adarawa, Arewa, Gobirawa, Hadejiya, Kano, Katagum, Katsina, Kebbawa, Sokoto, Zamfarawa. Barikanchi [bxo] is a Hausa pidgin used in military barracks. There is also a pidgin or market Hausa [gib]. Subdialects of Eastern Hausa: Kano, Katagum, Hadejiya; of Western Hausa: Sokoto, Katsina, Gobirawa, Adarawa, Kebbawa, Zamfarawa; of North Hausa: Arewa, Arawa. Abakwariga is a subgroup.

Typology

SVO

Language Use

15,000,000 L2 speakers; spoken as L2 in the north.

Language Development
New media. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1932–2004.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Hausa
Writing
Arabic script, Maghribi and Naskh styles. Braille script. Latin script, used since 1880, primary usage.
Other Comments

Muslim, traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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