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4 - Syntax – Grammar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2022

Paul Newman
Affiliation:
Indiana University
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Summary

Hausa retains the widespread Chadic three-term system of masculine singular, feminine singular, and plural (gender neutral). This is reflected in nominal forms and in agreement patterns. With a few grammatical morphemes, e.g. the Linker (na/ta/na) the masculine singular and the plural share the same marker. Tense–Aspect–Mood (TAM) is generally indicated by an overt marker after the subject pronoun and before the verb. The finaln in the Completive paradigm is not a TAM marker as often said, but rather a plural formative. The marker in the Subjunctive is zero. This form historically also indicated the Aorist, which still occurs but in the negative only. The causative is and was formed syntactically using a main verb sâa ‘to cause’ (lit. ‘to put’) and not by means of a morphological extension on the verb. Indirect objects have changed significantly from Old Hausa, in word order, in the form of the marker(s), and in the specific pronouns used. Verbs in the grade system vary in their pre-indirect object usage. Reflexives are built on the noun ‘head’, the question being whether they originally might have employed ‘body’ instead, which is now found in reciprocals.

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A History of the Hausa Language
Reconstruction and Pathways to the Present
, pp. 174 - 204
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • Syntax – Grammar
  • Paul Newman, Indiana University
  • Book: A History of the Hausa Language
  • Online publication: 24 March 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009128070.005
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  • Syntax – Grammar
  • Paul Newman, Indiana University
  • Book: A History of the Hausa Language
  • Online publication: 24 March 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009128070.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Syntax – Grammar
  • Paul Newman, Indiana University
  • Book: A History of the Hausa Language
  • Online publication: 24 March 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009128070.005
Available formats
×