MSNA language data can help humanitarians communicate better with affected people, Investing in Translators: TWB using a new translation tool Memsource to better serve its community, TWB develops language technology to improve humanitarian communication in northeast Nigeria, TWB and KoBo Inc develop speech recognition technology to capture voices of speakers of marginalized languages. This is the most popular language in Nigeria. Ethnic groups in Nigeria and their languages are diverse. Many of the Fulani people have adopted the Hausa language , further distributing it throughout Nigeria. Nigerian Sign Language, Hausa Sign Language, and Bura Sign Language are all used in Nigeria. Language Spotlight: The Languages of Nigeria Why we need to collect data on the languages of crisis-affected people (PDF), Rapid Guide to Localizing and Translating Survey Tools (EN, FR, PT). The main language in Nigeria from the Nilo-Saharan group is Kanuri. For more information, see our Cookie Policy. Nigeria has three major languages - Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. What language is spoken in Nigeria? English is the official language of Nigeria, used in all government interactions and in state-run schools. /ciːʃiː/ ('jealousy') vs. /kʷiːɓiː/ ('side of body'). Have any feedback or questions for aflang.humanities.ucla.edu? • Ijaw – 3 million speakers. The title of this special edition was specifically chosen to crown Professor Jibrilâs academic prowess in both English and indigenous Nigerian languages, and to mark and laud his official departure from active university lectureship. 72 ... Hausa is one of the official languages in Nigeria. I’ve enjoyed putting the languages of Nigeria under the spotlight today. The change proved controversial. Except for the Zaria and Bauchi dialects spoken south of Kano, Hausa distinguishes between masculine and feminine genders. It has been inhabited since 9,000 BCE though the modern state only emerged in 1914. It includes languages spoken across much of Africa. It is […] Hausa belongs to the West Chadic languages subgroup of the Chadic languages group, which in turn is part of the Afroasiatic language family. In official terms, it’s English. HAUSA. Ethnic groups in Nigeria and their languages are diverse. They may not be official languages of Nigeria, but some of the country’s most widely spoken languages include: • Hausa – 52 million speakers. In many countries like Eritrea, Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Germany, Ghana, Niger, Sudan, Togo and a lot of North Africa, Hausa is spoken. English, however, remains an exclusive preserve of a small . The Hausa language is a branch of the Afroasiatic family standing as the most spoken language in sub-Saharan Africa. Hausa is one of Nigeria's official languages and it has over forty million speakers around the continent. Select Accept cookies to consent to this use or Manage preferences to make your cookie choices. Researchers claimed that along with Oromo, Hausa is one of the biggest African languages in terms of indigenous native speakers — unlike Swahili, where most speakers aren't native. The second-largest ethnic group is the Yoruba, accounting for 15.5% of the population, followed by the Igbo (Ibo), comprising about 15.2% of the population. The natives of this language are mostly found in West Africa and in Nigeria; they are found in the Northern region of the country. Each of its five vowels may have low tone, high tone or falling tone. Southeastern/southern Nigeria is home to a grouping of nine densely populated states that are collectively known as the Niger Delta. This volume is produced in commemoration of the official retirement of Professor Kay Williamson from the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Hausa is the dominant language across the rest of the northern Nigerian states, as well as those in the Northeast. Hausa has between 23 and 25 consonant phonemes depending on the speaker. The Afroasiatic language family also includes Margi, Bade, Arabic and many other Nigerian languages. The English language has a bright future in Nigeria,at least much more than any one of the three major languages,of Hausa,Ibo or yoruba! Hausa is an advanced language in Africa. The letter ƴ (y with a right hook) is used only in Niger; in Nigeria it is written ʼy. 2015. Ethnologues estimated that it was spoken as a first language by some 47 million people and as a second language by another 25 million, bringing the total number of Hausa speakers to an estimated 72 million. 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. It is the most widely spoken Chadic language, with around 47 million people speaking it as a first language. Read the Hausa ebooks online, listen to the Hausa audios and practice your Hausa pronunciation with our online recorder or download the files to use whenever you want. There are 20 plural classes proposed by Newman (2000). During the time of colonialism the British united several regions which included independent tribes and cultures. ), Read more: 15 Best Languages to Learn in 2020. regarded as national languages, while English is. Hausa is spoken largely by Nigeria's Muslim population and predominantly in the north of the country. The most common non-English languages . Language data allows humanitarian organizations to better understand the languages people speak and understand, leading to better programming and accountability. Spoken as a first language by about 35 million people from Northern Nigeria (Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Bauchi, Zamfara, Jigawa as well as Gombe). Hausa is the only native language of Nigeria represented on Nigerian currency. Hausa has also been written in ajami, an Arabic alphabet, since the early 17th century. 1. The language has spread so much that globally it is the most spoken Nigerian language. Nigeria is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, with over 500 languages spoken. Nigeria gained it's independence from the British in 1960. The Yorubas say it differently, likewise the others 200 plus ethnic groups in Nigeria. Southwest Nigeria is predominantly home to Yoruba speakers. [23], The short /a/ can be either similar in quality to the long /aː/, or it can be as high as [ə], with possible intermediate pronunciations ([ɐ ~ ɜ]).[22]. As well as being the language of government and education in Nigeria, English is also used in the entertainment sector (most notably in film and television) and on the internet. Hausa is spoken largely by Nigeria’s Muslim population and predominantly in the north of the country. Kanuri has two main dialects (Manga Kanuri and Yerwa Kanuri) and three tones (high, low and falling). Its author, the Polish cultural historian Mariusz Krasniewski, gathered much of the material discussed in the book over several months between 2014 and 2016. Why didn't Yoruba and Igbo speakers also enjoy the opportunity of hearing the arrest in their languages. 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. We’ve walked through the country’s main language groups and looked at the languages in Nigeria from a regional perspective. 1. The three dominant tribes are Yoruba in the southwest, Igbo in the eastern region and Hausa in the north. So if you want to say thank you in Nigeria, just say "thank you". [5][6], Hausa is a member of the Afroasiatic language family and is the most widely spoken language within the Chadic branch of that family. But nonetheless, Hausa is such a big language that some big claims are often made. Nigeria has a diverse geography, with climates ranging from arid to humid equatorial. They are written with modified versions of Latin letters. Now, the Hausa was printed, like the Yoruba and Igbo, in small Roman letters, to the right of the larger centered text in English, the country's official language. After Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo are the major languages of communication. Bernard Caron. In terms of native speaker numbers, several languages that have been around for thousands of years are the dominant languages in Nigeria. The language situation in Nigeria. The Hausa and Fulani in Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, Niger, and Nigeria do play the national politics of their official countries, but do not see . Hausa is also spoken in various parts of Cameroon and Chad, which combined the mixed dialects of Northern Nigeria and Niger. We can see, for example, that both Hausa and Kanuri are important Nigerian languages in the northeast of country, where they are spoken by 31% and 28% of household respectively. Found inside â Page 232... the Promotion of the three major official language local languages (Hausa, ... of democratic constitution under Nigeria's independence National Assembly ... Interstingly, many words in both Hausa and Fulfude have been borrowed from Arabic. Before rounded vowels, only labialized velars occur, e.g. [6][5][10] Furthermore, the language is used as a lingua franca by non-native speakers in most of Northern Nigeria and Southern Niger, and as a trade language across a much larger swathe of West Africa (Benin, Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, Chad and parts of Sudan). MINOR LANGUAGES IN NIGERIA 237 The Chadic languages, of which Hausa is the most prominent, are spoken predominantly across the northern belt of the country. The official language is English, but it is spoken less frequently in rural areas and amongst people with lower education levels. The BBC, Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale and Voice of America offer Hausa services on their international news web sites using Dauranci and Kananci. Northern Hausa dialects include Arewa (meaning 'North') and Arewaci. Hausa: It's crystal clear that Hausa is the most spoken language in Nigeria aside from the foreign English language. Nigeria is described as the 'Giant of Africa'. This unification created a melting pot of cultures . This shows that multilingusim does not pose for Africans the problems of communication that Europeans imagine and that the mismatch between policy statements and their pragmatic outcomes is a far more serious problem for future development Hausa is spoken largely by Nigeria's Muslim population. The lingua franca of Nigeria is Nigerian Pidgin - an English-based creole language. Other major languages spoken include: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulfulde, Ibibio, Kanuri, and Tiv. Chadic is spoken by 24 million in Western Nigeria. Before front vowels, only palatalized and labialized velars occur, e.g. God's heart is to see them become a strong Christian influence as well. The Hausa are very influential in West Africa, both culturally and politically. Hausa has glottalic consonants (implosives and ejectives) at four or five places of articulation (depending on the dialect). 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). Hausa language. Nigeria gained it's independence from the British in 1960. Yes, that’s right, this week I’m putting Nigeria under the spotlight. Geofrey Onyeama: Benin Republic Ready To Be Nigeria's '37th State' / TB Joshua: I Never Said Orji Uzor Kalu Would Be Nigeria's Next President In 2023 / $600m Steel Plant Will Be Nigeria's Highest Non-oil FDI - Gupta (2) (3) (4) Lingua franca in ur enclave not Nigeria. In standard written Hausa, tone is not marked. Some of the most common Nigerian languages spoken there include Nupe, Kambari, Gbagyi, Dibo, Gbari, Jarawa, Gade, Alago, Eloyi and Agatu, with dozens of other languages also spoken in the region. 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. [11], Eastern Hausa dialects include Dauranci in Daura, Kananci in Kano, Bausanci in Bauchi, Gudduranci in Katagum Misau and part of Borno, and Hadejanci in Hadejiya. In Nigeria, those languages include Fula, Tiv, Jukun, Edo, Igbo, Igala, Idoma, Nupe, Gwari, Yoruba, Efik, Ibibio, Anang, Ekoi, Awak, Waja, Waka, Tula and more. It is often considered to be the lingua franca of West Africa, as the Hausa ethnic group is one of the largest in the region. In the northeast, for example, only 1% of the population speaks Nigeria’s official language natively. Distribution. Free Hausa Lessons Online | FSI At Live Lingua we believe that everybody should be able to learn another language. Nigerian language that is used in television and film – Hausa, Igo, Yoruba and of course Nigerian Standard English – is relevant to understanding the country’s popular culture. The language is spoken by almost 100 million people as of 2015-2016. Short vowels are written regularly with the help of vowel marks, which are seldom used in Arabic texts other than the Quran. Nigerian bank notes have their values written in Hausa, using ajami. The most spoken Afroasiatic language in Nigeria is Hausa, but it is far from the only one. Over the years, these three have spread to several places around the world. - Another alternative: "Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa" as official . The current capital of Nigeria is Abuja; The capital became the Federal Capital Territory in December 12, 1991 The North Central region of Nigeria, running along the Niger and Benue rivers, is home to a wide range of languages. They may not be official languages of Nigeria, but some of the country's most widely spoken languages include: • Hausa - 52 million speakers. They can also be denoted with an apostrophe, either before or after depending on the letter, as shown below. /kʷoːɽaː/ ('ringworm').[18][19]. Generally, English is the most popular language among Nigerians; and that's because it is Nigeria's official language. Hausa is the most popular language in Nigeria with over 18.5 million native speakers (both first and second native) in Nigeria. 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