Comparative Analysis of the Segmental Features of Hausa and Màda Languages

Citation: Abba, Sagir ABUBAKAR and Samuel, Nuhu BABA (2020). Comparative Analysis of the Segmental Features of Hausa and Màda Languages. Yobe Journal of Language, Literature and Culture (YOJOLLAC), Vol. .8 Department of African Languages and Linguistics, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria. ISSN 2449-0660

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SEGMENTAL FEATURES OF HAUSA AND MÀDA LANGUAGES

Abba Sagir ABUBAKAR & Samuel Nuhu BABA

Abstract

The aim of this paper are: a) to identify the similarities and differences between the segmental features of Hausa and Màda languages, and b) to predict learning difficulties among Màda learners of Hausa and Hausa learners of Màda based on this comparison. Learners of Hausa as a second language (HSL, hereinafter) and learners of Màda as a second language (MSL, hereinafter) mostly encounter difficulties as a result of some features of their first languages (L1). Among the sources of difficulty in pronouncing Hausa among Màda speakers and vice versa is segmental deviation. This study compares and contrasts the segmental features of Hausa and Màda. The study is in accordance to Contrastive Analysis (CA), which behavioural and structural linguists founded the theoretical foundations in 1950 and 1960. Since then CA has been used in the second language acquisition studies. Desk research was employed in the course of this study, where data was sourced from existing works on the phonology of Hausa and Màda languages, then diagnosed and arrived at their similarities and differences. The results of the study reveals that, although Hausa and Màda share some segmental features, but the sounds do not behave the same way in the two languages. Hausa has 47 phonemes while Màda has 42 phonemes. These differences in phonological features are assumed to constitute learning difficulties for the L2 learners of the two languages.

1.0 Introduction

‘Individuals tend to transfer the forms and meanings, and distribution of forms and meanings of their native language and culture to foreign language…’ (Lado 1957 cited in Aje, 2006, p. 31). The need to learn an additional indigenous language apart from one’s mother tongue cannot be emphasized especially in multilingual society like Nigeria. In the course of learning additional languages, one may face one challenge or the other as a result of segmental and supra-segmental variations of mother tongue and second languages. Although linguists have not been on the same page on different issues relating to languages studies, but unanimously agreed that the L1 influencing the acquisition of L2 phonology is inevitable. (Eckman 2004 as cited in Malah and Reshid 2015).

The languages, Hausa and Màda are two separate languages. Hausa belongs to the Chadic family of languages of the Afro-Asiatic phylum and is spoken by about 50 million people in West Africa as mother tongue, L2 and lingua franca (Jaggar 2001, p. 1; Caron 2013, p. 1), while Màda belongs to the Platoid sub-family of the Benue-Congo language family (Greenberg, 1963; Williamson, 1971; Hansford et al, 1976; Crozier and Blench, 1992; Blench, 2005). The speakers of Màda are found in Nasarawa State, Kaduna (Jema’a and Sanga Local government areas) and Plateau (Quan’pan Local Government Area) States. The language is predominantly spoken in Akwanga Local Government Area across many indigenous neighbour languages like Eggon, Rindre, Kantana, Numana, Ninzo and Gwandara (Samuel, 2016; 2019). The process of language learning, transfer or possible inhibition may occur in the learning process of Màda learners of Hausa. The theme of this paper, therefore, shares in the spirit of Lado’s contrastive analysis.

However, it is eminent that HSL and MSL phonology would inevitably interfere with their second language (SL, herein after) acquisition at segmental level. At segmental level, HSL and MSL learners may encounter some pronunciation difficulties due to negative transfer, as utterances of L1 are erroneously transferred into L2. The diverse specifications or language specific attributes in both languages may lead to deviations which in turn could jeopardize the chances of success in communication between L1 speakers and SL learners. To proffer solution to learning problems, Lado (1957) proposed that two languages should be compared so as to find out similarities and differences, identify trouble areas as well. This study is carried out by comparing and contrasting the segmental features of Hausa and Màda and also predict possible area of learning difficulties.

Languages have divergent sound systems and these differences may lead to non-achievement of the desired proficiency in second language learning. However, works on the Hausa and Màda phonologies have been done but the attentions of most of the studies have been more of description of the sounds pattern of the languages, not to compare and contrast the phonologies of Hausa and Màda. Thus, a study of this type is in high demand so as identify several points of the phonological divergences and convergences of the two languages. This will help HSL and MSL learners and researchers in dealing with trouble areas in order to avoid interference. The findings of this study will also go a long way in facilitating researchers and predict areas of difficulties for HSL and MSL learners arising out of differences of their phonologies. Teachers of both languages will also find it helpful in designing materials which would address the areas of difficulties.

The aim of the paper, therefore is to compare the phonologies of Hausa and Màda so as:

1) To identify the similarities and differences between the segmental features of Hausa and Màda languages and find out why Màda learners of Hausa and Hausa learners of Màda learners face difficulties with some sounds and patterns.

2) To predict learning difficulties among Màda learners of Hausa and Hausa learners of Màda based on this comparison.

This study is a contrastive analysis (CA) which was the child brain of ‘Linguistics Across Cultures’ authored by Lado (1957). CA was founded on the assumption that L2 learners will tend to transfer the formal features of their L1 to their L2 utterance. Thus, study is carried out to explain error committed by L2 learner by comparing two system of the target language (TL) and native language (NL). To Larry (2001, p. 72) as cited by Al-khresheh, (2016) CA is a way of comparing languages in order to determine potential errors for ultimate purpose of isolating what need to be learnt and what does not need to be learnt in second language learning situation.

It is understood that CA is significant to second language learning and its result is recommended in designing teaching materials base on the predicted difficulties. This study uses the CA theory to examine the similarities and differences between segmental features of Hausa and Màda languages so as to identify trouble area and proffer solution. This study like any contrastive analysis is a secondary research. The idea behind choosing this approach is because many works have been carried out to identify and describe segmental features of Hausa and Màda. The concentration here is to see how the similarities of the phonemic inventories of these languages can ease learning of Hausa and Màda phonemes and also how their differences can help in identifying trouble areas. Due to different varieties of two the languages, for this study, we choose standard accent of the two languages – Hausa and Màda. Therefore, even though Hausa has many dialects, this study focused on Standard Hausa. This is because the Standard Hausa is the accent being studied and used in media. On the other hand, this study used the Rījà dialect of Màda due to the fact that it is the accent being studied and used in recent studies in Màda and has gained wider acceptance for its use in compiling a draft of the Màda dictionary.

2.1 Hausa and Màda Segmental Phonemes Compared

Hausa language has forty-seven segmental sounds and the language employs both pulmonic regressive and glottalic regressive and ingressive airstream to produce the sounds. Out of forty-seven phonemes, thirty-four are consonants sounds while thirteen are vowels. Pure vowels (long and short) are ten while the remaining three are diphthongs. On the other hand, Màda has thirty-eight phonemes.

 Table I: Hausa consonants adopted from Sani (1999).

Manner of Articulation

Place of Articulation

Bilabial

Labiodental

Alveolar

Palato-alveolar

Palatal

Velar

Labio-velar

Labialised-velar

Palato-velar

Palatalised-velar

Glottal

Labialised-glottal

Plosive

[i][p] b

[t] d

[k] g

[kp] gb

kw gw

kj gj

Fricative

[f] v

[s] z

[ʃ]

h

Affricate

[ts]

[tʃ] ʤ

Nasal

m

n

ɲ

ŋ

Lateral

l

Trill

r

Central Approximant

w

j

 

Table II: Mada consonants adapted from Samuel (2016).

Manner of Articulation

Place of Articulation

Bilabial

Palatalized Bilabial

Alveolar

Retroflex

Post- Alveolar

Palatal

Velar

Labiovelar

Labialized-velar

Palatalised-velar

Glottal

Palatalized Glottal

Plosive

b

t d

k g

kw gw

kj gj

ʔ

ʔj

Implosive

ɓ

ɗ

Ejective

s’

q

qw

qj

Nasal

m

n

ɲ

Ŋ

Fricative

Φ

Φj

s z

ʃ

h

Africative

tʃ ʤ

Lateral

l

Trill/Roll

r

Flap

ɽ

Approximant

j

w

 

2.2 Hausa and Màda Consonants Compared

Plosive: While Hausa has total number of eleven plosives: /b t d k g kj kw g gj gw ʔ ʔj/, Màda has twelve stops /p b t d k g kp gb k^w g^w k^j g^j/. In Hausa inventory, the plosives /p kp gb/ are missing while in Màda they are available and contrastive. The two languages share the plosive /b d t g k kw gw/.

With regard to how these plosives function in various positions of the word in the two languages, you notice that in Hausa with exception of /b d g/ which do not operate in word final position, almost all plosives can operate word-initially, medially and finally. What obtains in Màda is slightly the same, but occur predominately at word initial and medial positions. Plosives also occur as long consonants cluster in Hausa where by the first consonant serves as coda of the last syllable and the second serves as onset of the next syllable as in tattàraa (to gather), tabbàtaa (to comfirm), gaggaawaa (haste), haddàsaa (to course). In Màda, the first consonant serves as the onset of the syllable and may close the syllable with another consonant as a coda. Examples can be seen in words like sān (name), hwān (bush). Glottal stop /ʔ/[ii] normally begins the syllable in Hausa as vowel does not function at syllable initial position as in àbinci (food), aikìi (work) and jàma’àa (people).

Implosive: Hausa has only two implosive /ɓ ɗ/ while they are absent in Màda. These sounds behave the same way with their plosive counterpart /b d/ in Hausa. These consonants are missing in Màda.

Ejective: Four ejectives (ƙ ƙj ƙw s’/ exist in Hausa inventory. They operate in word as their plosive counterpart. These phonemes are non-existent in Màda.

Fricatives: The Hausa fricative consonants /φ φj s z h ʃ/ are five but Màda has six fricatives /f s z ʃ h hw/. Therefore, /φ φj/ are missing in Màda inventory while /f hw/ are missing in the Hausa inventory though the two languages share / s z h ʃ/.

In Hausa, /s/ becomes /ʃ/ before front vowels across morpheme boundary as in fasàa (to break) – fashèe. /s/ and /z/ assume voicing or voicelessness defending on the sound that begins the next syllable when they appear in syllable final position. In

other words, /s/ and/z/ become voiced or voiceless when used before voiced or voiceless in syllable final position, as in askaa, haskee, filastaa; kyazbii, hazbiyaa and izgaa. The sound /h/ does not occur syllable or word-finally in Hausa. This process seems silent in the Màda inventory and may be a source of learning problem to Màda learners of Hausa.

Affricatives: Hausa has only two affricatives while Màda has three /ts ʧ ʤ/. /ʤ/ is spelt as ‘j’ in Hausa and Màda. It operates word- initially as in jàkaa (bag), word- medially as in jijjigaa (to move severally) but does not occur word-finally. /ʧ/ also operates in all positions but does not occur at word final position. In Màda, affricates occur in only two positions; word initial and medial. Examples can be seen in tsɛ (chest), hūtswē (field), ʧīn (forehead), nʧə (tail), ʤin (mortar) and nʤō (horn). The absence of the voiceless alveolar affricate /ts/ could be a source of learning difficulty for Hausa learners of Màda.

Nasals: Hausa has four nasals: /m n ɲ ŋ/. Both the two languages share /m n ɲ ŋ/. In Hausa, /ɲ ŋ/ are allophones of the phoneme /n/ in different position. Here, /n/ occurs word-initially, as in noomaa (farming) and at syllable final position before alveolar sound, as in yànzu (now), while /ŋ/ operates syllable-final position before velar sound, as in baŋgoo (wall) and word-finally, as in ‘gidaŋ’ (the house). /ɲ/ on the other hand operates word-medially before palatal sound, as in kuɲyàa (shyness). In Màda, the nasals /m n ɲ ŋ/ occur in word initial and final slot except /n/ which occurs in final slot as in nansɔn (sit properly), ŋbǒn (stomach) and gɔn (back).

Laterals: There is only one lateral /l/ in both Hausa and Màda inventories.

Trill/ Roll: Both the two languages have only one trill/roll /r/.

Flap: Hausa has only flap // which is absent in the Màda inventory.

Approximants: Both languages have two approximants / j w/ in their inventories. In Hausa, the two sounds occur in syllable initial position, as in yaaƙii (battle), baayaa (back); wankaa (bath), baawàa (slave). They can also serve as coda elements of medial geminate glide, as in ‘ƙiyayya’ (hatred), dàwwamàa (eternity). The two approximants in Màda occur at syllable initial slot and /w/ at word medial slot as shown in the examples; wān (who), məwɔnkī (holes in a tree), yɔkpə (to be lazy), etc.

2.3 Hausa and Màda Vowel Compared

Hausa has total of thirteen vowels- ten are pure while three are diphthongs. There are five pairs of pure vowels in which five are short: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/ and five are long /a:/, /e:/, /i:/, /o:/, /u:/. There are three different diphthongs /ai/, /au/ /ui/ found to operate in Hausa. There are also thirteen vowels in Màda comprising of eight (8) oral vowels and five (5) nasalized vowels.

Table III Hausa and Màda Vowels.

Hausa	Màda
Pure vowels/monophthongs /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/; /a:/, /e:/, /i:/, /o:/, /u:/.	Pure vowels//monophthongs /i/, /e/, /ɛ/, /ə/, /a/, /ɔ/, /o/, /u/
Diphthongs: /ai/, /au/ /ui/	Nasal Vowels /ĩ/, /ɛ/, /ã/, /ũ/, /ɔ/

 

Pure Vowels: While Hausa has ten pure vowels: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/; /a:/, /e:/, /i:/, /o:/, /u:/, Màda has eight pure vowels: /i/, /e/, /ɛ/, /ə/, /a/, /ɔ/, /o/, /u/ respectively. The two languages share /a/, /o/, /u/, /e/, /i/. Hausa has three diphthongs: /ai/, /au/ /ui/, which are absent in the Màda vowel system.

In Hausa, vowel does not operate word-initially, but only medially and finally. Although a word may appear orthographically with initial vowel begin phonemically with a glottal stop (Newman, 2000). /e/ and /o/ occur both long and short in syllable final position, as in shàafee (wiping), shaafè (wiped), doogoo (tall), doogo (nickname for tall person). If the syllable becomes closed as a result of morphophonological processes, the vowels /e:/ and /o:/ automatically shorten to /e/ and /o/ respectively, and centralize toward /a/, as in kàree (dog) kàransà *kàre:nsà (his dog), saaboo (new) saaban’ *saboon (the new). This restriction of non-occurrence of long vowel in closed syllable is also applicable to any long vowel that occur as nucleus of closed syllable, but the centralization is peculiar to /e/ and also /o/. In Màda, vowels normally do not begin a word except the Central half-close unrounded vowel /ə/ which can occur as a full fledge word as in ə to mean ‘at, with, under, on, etc. the vowel, however, constitute a syllable and can stand alone in some instances.

Diphthongs: This tends to be an area of great divergences between Hausa and Màda sound system. While Hausa has three diphthongs: /ai/, au/, /ui/. Diphthong does not exist Màda vowel system.

Like pure vowels, diphthongs also operate only as nucleus of open syllable in Hausa, and they change to monophthongs the moment a suffix added, as in mâi (oil) *mâin – mân.

3.1 Discussion

So far our discussion of the comparison of Hausa and Màda segmental features show that there is a great variance in the phonologies of both languages. It has been shown that while Hausa exhibit complex segmental features, Màda either adopts some of the salient features of Hausa or establish its own peculiar system. We have seen also that the area of convergence and divergence could inhibit the language learning process. We have predicted in this study through comparison that the absence of a feature could be a source of learning difficulty for learners of either Hausa or Màda in second language learning process. From the data presented, we have observed the following predictable areas:

1. There would be problem of finding the equivalent of some segmental phonemes in the absent of a feature in either in the phonology of Hausa or Màda.

2. The discrepancies between Hausa orthography and phonotactics would be a source of learning difficulties to L2 learners especially the Màda learners of Hausa and vise visa.

3. The distributional characteristics of the segmental phonemes could pose learning problem to Màda learners of Hausa as L2.

3.2 Way Forward

As a way of diagnosing the problem of language learning which this paper attempts to address, the following learning tasks can be taken to enhance the learning of Hausa as a second language and or Màda without mother tongue interference or possibly to ensure near native-like competence in both languages:

1. A learner must acquire the ability to produce and recognize the whole range of segmental phonemes in both languages as well as the phonotactics of the languages.

2. A learner must discover which feature(s) is/are distinctive in the target language.

3. A learner must discover the functional and language specific sequence in which features at both levels of phonology operate in the target language.

4.1 Conclusion

Contrastive analysis is comparative study of two languages. This is done by studying the segmental similarities and differences of the two languages. This study discovers the divergences between Hausa and Màda phonemes and offers way forward so as to attain near native-like competence. It is hoped that the study will serve as an incentive for other comparative studies which will go a long way in establishing relationships between and among languages.

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