PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED HAUSA PROVERBS

Abstract

Hausa is a member of the West Chadic cluster of the Afroasiatic phylum with sister languages, such as Bade, Warji, and Kamwe. There abound in literature several works on the creativity, aesthetics, and pragmatic value of Hausa proverbs, including Maimako (2007), Liman (2015), and Adamu (2019), among others, but not much attention has been paid to the pragmatics of Hausa proverbs. This study examines twenty (20) selected Hausa proverbs collected from interview sessions and focus group discussions in Nasarawa State, Keffi, Nigeria. The survey-type descriptive research design was adopted in this study. The Relevance theory of Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson (1986) is the pragmatic framework applied to analyse how effective communication and meaning–making is achieved in the use of proverbs in the typical Hausa community. The study revealed that Hausa proverbs could be interpreted within the context of their usage. The transparent proverbs are direct, easy to understand, and have clear meanings. This study, which is an addition to the studies on Hausa language, people, and culture contributes to aspects of the pragmatics of Hausa language towards a better understanding of Hausa proverbs and their usage in communication.