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Language Information

Hausa is the most widely spoken language of West Africa. In Nigeria it is the first language of at least 25 million people, with another 15 million speaking it fluently as a second language. As a result it has become the lingua franca for most of the northern part of the country. There are also about 5 million speakers in neighboring Niger and smaller numbers in other countries.

Hausa belongs to the Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic (Hamito-Semitic) family of languages. Before the colonial period it was written in a variety of the Arabic script known as Ajami, but this has largely given way to a modified Roman script introduced by the British. The language contains many words borrowed from the Arabic.

Niger, Nigeria.

Family: Afro-Asiatic (Hamito-Semitic)
Subgroup: Chadic

Writing Sample

Translation

The Ground Squirrel and the Hedgehog:—One day it was raining: the hedgehog greeted the squirrel saying, "How do you like the cold? Is there anywhere I can shelter?" The squirrel replied, "I'm well, thank God. Here's a little place, enter!" They then lived together, but after a while the squirrel said, "Hedgehog! This stay of yours with me is unpleasant, your body is all prickles. Change your abode!" The hedgehog said, "Is that so? As for me, I enjoy it: the one whom this place doesn't suit, shouldn't he change it for another?"