Cite this article as: Abba, T. (2025). Language in the graphic mode: Descriptive techniques of nativization of Arabic sounds in Kanuri Ajami. Sokoto Journal of Linguistics and Communication Studies (SOJOLICS), 1(1), 226–233. https://doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i01.010
LANGUAGE
IN THE GRAPHIC MODE: DESCRIPTIVE TECHNIQUES OF NATIVIZATION OF ARABIC SOUNDS IN
KANURI AJAMI
By
Tahir
Abba PhD
Department
of Linguistics and Translation Studies
Bayero
University, Kano Nigeria
Abstract
This paper is made out of the descriptive techniques
of some Arabic sounds rendered in Kanuri Ajami. It also focuses on the
customized pedagogy, which based on the socio-cultural resources of the Kanuri
people. The data retrospectively collected within the Tsangayateaching
materials. The qualitative data is consisting of collection of
Tsangayamaterials for example, Ya-kәshau, Ming-kәnshau, Nun-kәshau,
Lam-kәshau, etc. and observe them from the perspective of the teacher (as a
resource person), the materials used in reference to the socio-cultural
background of the Kanuri people, and the students who are the prime recipient
of the skills. Therefore, the study needs to account for the multidimensional
approach in imparting the knowledge of the Arabic–Kanuri sounds and techniques
of their production to the children. The description of the consonant sounds
ranging from phonetics, phonology and semantic unit or constituent, which will
be the starting points. However, the framework of teaching concrete object to
abstract, simple to complex etc. is conceived in this paper. Furthermore, the
phonological awareness of the Arabic sounds and rendering them in Kanuri Ajami
proved effective, giving the relevance of the phono-semantic and socio-cultural
ordering in the utterance.
Keyword:
Pedagogy, Yakәshau, Min-kәnshau, Nun-kәshau, Lam-kәshau,phono-semiotic
1. Introduction
The ha-kuri, ta-kuri, ha-suraaetc. are well known
holistic approach in teaching the Arabic sounds in Tsangaya. Such a method is
very economical in the sense that, at once one could achieve two or more
learning objectives. The principles of known to unknown, simple to complex and
concrete to abstract etc. is accordingly established in the process. In the
TsangayaSchool system of education, (SSSE) the Kanuri teachers are mindful of
the fact that the cultural factors have a very magnificent influence on the cognitive
development of the young learners. Perhaps, that gives the teachers the
inducement of the cultural reinvigoration to explore further to connect the
learning materials with the concepts and objects around the child for easy
comprehensibility and learnability of the Arabic alphabets by domesticating
them to obtain tacit and tactful manipulation of the sounds that resulted in
the Ajamizationof the systems.
2. Historical Development of Ajami Tradition in
African Languages
The Ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform inscriptions,
Egyptian hieroglyphic and primordial Chinese characters were all highly
logographic in their early stages. In fact, all writing systems maintained some
logographic writing. On the other hand, phonographic writing system uses signs
that represent some aspects of pronunciation (represent syllables or segments).
While in Spain, Aljamiado played a very important role in preserving Islam and
the Arabic language in the life of the Moriscos. After the fall of the last
Muslim Kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula, the Moriscos were forced to convert to
Christianity or else, they leave the Peninsula. They were forced to adopt
Christian customs and traditions and to attend church services on Sundays.
Nevertheless, some of them kept their Islamic belief and tradition secretly
through the usage of Aljamiado.
Anwar (2015: 17-38), Sagagi (2025) explained the
origin of the word Ajami asAljamiadoor Al’ajamiais a “corruption of the Arabic
word ajamiyah. In this case it means foreign language and generally, the Arabic
expression ajamand its derivative ajamiyahare applicable to peoples whose
ancestry is not of Arabian origin Abba (2014). In linguistic terms, the
Al’ajamiais the use of Arabic alphabet to transcribe the Roman language, which
has been used by some people in some areas of Al-Andalus as an everyday communication
vehicle, while Arabic was reserved as the language of science, high culture and
religion (El-Miskin 1989). However, Ajami developed in African communities with
a long history of Islam. The existing Ajami materials in African languages such
as Fula, Kanuri, Mandigo, Yoruba, Zarma, Tamashak, Wolof, Songhai, Soninkee,
Wangara, Susu are solid references to the historical writings of these
societies. In South Africa, the first written record of Afrikaans was produced
in Ajamiby Muslim Malay slaves (Gobir, 2013:353-356).
3. Methodology and Theoretical Framework
Teaching language has two main aspects first is
theoretical and is formed by linguistics, through scientific and descriptive
methodology. Second method is the practical engagement undertaken by teachers
to facilitate the student’s learning activities in general. The Arabic language
teacher sets out from the theoretical knowledge, and presents it through
practical experience (Al-Omari 2016).
Since,
Kanuri society cannot be separated from the religion by extension from the
Qur’an, which is the main source of the Arabic language, Pupils have to learn
Arabic alphabets before they start reciting the Qur’an or perform the
obligatory prayers (Owens 1995). Thus, learning the Qur'an and performance of
the religious obligatory bound the two parameters together. Therefore, the
focal points of the paper are graphic representation of the Arabic alphabets,
the techniques involved in capturing semiotic nature of the characters and
their analysis. Furthermore, the phonographic realization of Kanuri Ajami
sounds connects the sounds to the mind of the young learners, on the other
hand. The whole process is designed to connect the abstract object to the
closer tactile perception of the learner for easy articulation of the sounds in
Kanuri.
The second aspect of the paper explores further the
etymologies of some descriptive techniques and patterns in which the Arabic
sounds are domesticated and rendered as /n/ alveolar nasal > Nun-kәshau,
/m/bilabial nasal >Min-kәshau, /l/ alveolar lateral >Lam-kәshau,/y/
semi-vowel>Ya-kәshau, etc. as earlier observed. As far as the origin of the
descriptive sounds is concerned, the paper unequivocally deduced to the
historical teaching and learning of the Qur'an itself. The paper also accounts for
the sociolinguistic adaptability of the Qur’anic-Arabic sounds. In achieving
this, the teachers indeed strive to impart the cultural and linguistic skills
to the society via technolization process operating in the society. For many
years, the Kanuri teachers have served the Qur’an as well as the calligraphy of
the Qur’anic manuscripts perceived to have constituted an avant-garde and
repository knowledge this provides the framework for the teaching learning
activities in the TsangayaSchool System.
Nativization
of Arabic sounds in Kanuri Ajami
The teaching of the Qur’anic Arabic alphabets by
Kanuri educators is based on three basic pedagogical components. One, the
teacher as a resource person, two, materials and tools to be used and three,
the target learner, who is the focal point of the process, formed the
nativization of the traditional system of leaning. Indeed, teaching is an art,
that demands not only imparting the knowledge but realization of it through
specialized guiding principles called “teaching methods” used in order to
achieve the desired learning objectives. Teaching, also involves management of
human beings, physical resources and time, which goes in tandem, from one level
of apprehensive to the next level, bearing in mind the desired behaviour
changes take place within the stipulated period of the instruction. The map
bellow, illustrates the connectivity of the components of the teaching process:
Map1.
The teacher as
resource person has a strong and direct connection with the learner and he is
the provider of the sociocultural ingredients that makes the input to the
nativization. The components of the teaching requirements also provide a
comprehensive teaching activity. On the other hand, the learner, as the prime
target, of the whole process, requires cognition, mental meaning, audio
emission and the signifier as the necessary components.
Thus, the unison
and simultaneous operation of these components together, at one linguistic
level is a special skills exhibited by the teacher. Of course, the ingenuity
and resourcefulness of the teacher require a holistic approach in actualizing
the learning objectives. Bearing in mind the strong connection exists between
the teacher, learner cum the physical and nonphysical materials, this includes
cognitive development (which the learners require much) as well as
sociocultural endowment of the both teacher and learner, put together, to
provide unobstructed learning procedure. The learner recognizes the
phonological operations of the phonemes through culturallygiven signifier to
represent the symbols. Thesetechniques result in letter-sound recognition. Subsequently,
the technique result in the learner’s decoding ability, phoneme understanding,
and morpheme construction (logographic process). Thus, the whole activities
based on phonographic framework. That is, the generated Arabic sounds are
attached meaning in the Kanuri Ajami/Tarjimo reading and writing system. Similarly, this tradition is
obtained in many African societies, such as Hausa, Fulfulde, Nupe, Yoruba,
Mandingo, Swahili etc.The use of Arabic script is not a new phenomenon, even
though it took many forms and styles. However, most writings are grouped into
two basic types; logographic and
phonographic, depending on the
technique that uses the oldest type of genuine writing. It refers to the type
of writing in which symbols represent morpheme or words (Abba 2014).
Phonological Awareness of the Arabic/Kanuri
–Ajami Sounds
In
the light of the adapted and modified map 2 has considered the operation of the
Ajami sounds in practical terms. Indeed, the two principal types of phonographic writing system,
syllabic and alphabetic were adopted by the Kanuri instructors. A sound that results from the passage of air through restrictions of the
oral cavity is called consonant. In general sense, "a consonant, in
phonetic context, is a speech sound made by a closure or narrowing in the vocal
tract. Therefore, the air-flow is either completely blocked or so restricted
that audible friction is produced" (Sani, 1983).
The data at our
disposal is considered at three different perspectives. One, to identify the
sound and provide an equivalent sound, two to represent the Kanuri language
sound in the graphic mode and three, nativization of the Arabic sound
to capture and produce a cognitively and culturally motivated equivalent sound.
The high level of creativity and intellectuality demonstrated the talent and
ingenuity of the Kanuri teachers in imparting the knowledge to young ones in the
society. Consider the following sounds bellow:
Group(a) /ه/,
/ﻫ/, /ح/,
Group (b) /ة/, /ت
/, /ط/,
Group (c) //ع/,
/ﻌ/, / ﻊ/
Group (d) / ﻠ/, /ﻞ/, /ﻢ /, /ﻦ /, / ﻰ /, /ے/
4. Data Analysis
At this juncture the paper accounts for the data in
each group accordingly. Bearing in mind that to bring concepts nearer to the
cognition of the learner. The principles of simple to complex, concrete to
abstract are at the focal point of the analysis.
4.1 Group (a) /ه/, /ﻫ/, /ح/,
In group (a) the first circled sound /ه/ > glottal fricative voiceless. Itis
described as Ha and kuri,in Kanuri language. This description is
phonographically represented. It is the actualarticulatory and auditory
qualities and culturally nativized the sound as ha and kori. In
this process describes how the sound is pronounced based on the physical
features it represents. The phonological quality of the sound /h/ glottal is
locally realized as Ha-kuri and is
cognitively decoded and phonologically emitted as one sound.
The symbol Ha-suroa
/ﻫ/,
is quasi to/ه/Ha-kuri and as well as to /ح/ hang
ngangamngamdu. While, Ha-suroa/ﻫ/,
in the Kufi writing style, is written
with a protrusion /ه/. Owing to the
connection between the symbol and target concept, which is metaphorically,
described as the [Ha]but suroa, or Ha with a protruded
stomach or the pregnant Ha.
The /ح/ in group
(a) is described in respect to its
characteristic feature and it also shares the same audio emissions, with
the previous symbols in the same group. This symbol is calledhang ngangamngamdu, or the dehydrated Ha.
The technique is to disambiguate the consonant sounds from the rest of the
symbols or its counterparts. Indeed, the counterpart of the hang nganngamngamdu /ح/ is hanganngamnjiya
/خ/. It is described as 'hydrated or watered'
{/h/ [ḥ]}because of the dot placed on top of it. So, both symbols have
similar shapes but different audio emission due to involvement of different
articulatory organs in their production.
4.2 Group (b) /ة/, /ت
/, /ط/
Group (b) demonstrates the circled symbol /ة/and it is called Ta- kuri. The same
procedure is applied to capture the grapheme renditions of similar shapes, but
different phoneme. The circled symbol with the two dots on top of the circled
character equivocally emits the audio quality of alveolar[1]plosive/stop sound /t/ Ta-kuri.
The counterpart of Ta-kuriis called Ta- kasə
/ت/, or a weaned [ta]. It is occurs
usually at the morpheme ending or final position. The Taakasəis
described metaphorically, as weaned child, who stopped feeding from the breast
milk. The item kastə>kassə portraits a child weaned by the mother
from the breast feeding. Henceforth, the child can be fed from other sources
and food supplements. The image depicted here is cognitively transcended to
mean a weaned and isolated child to portrait a situation where a consonant
sound occurred at the word final position. This practice is effective and
operates within the context of the Kanuri Sangaya education. In other
words, the functions and attributes of the Arabic alphabet/sounds are
translated into the characteristic qualities of human beings. For example, the
descriptive method applied in writing the Arabic sound /ف/ [fa] when it is written in
isolation and it is described as faazawar, i.e. divorced [fa].
Even though, it shares the same audio emission with the rest of the fain
the stream of the morphemes. The occurrence of the sound at the morpheme
ending makes it to be described as faazawar. It is not attached to the
rest of the morphemes, but it is unambiguously actualized as the rest of the /fa/.
For example, the fa in the word [سَوْفَ] [Saufa]and [رَؤُوفٌ],
obviously, the morpheme /f/is independently occurs at the word final
position. Yet, it retains its phonologic quality in the course of production.
Let us account for the Arabic characters / ط/ and / ظ/
in the Sangaya learning system. These two sounds also described
according to their shapes and sound they produce. The first character is called
Tal-muskoaand the second is read as Zal-muskoarespectively. Our
sources revealed that the pattern and the graphic mode used in this analysis is
yet, fall within the principles of teaching children in a simplified way.
Perhaps, the philosophy behind it is not other than simplification of the
Arabic consonant sounds in a way that, the learner can easily identify the
different symbols and disambiguate themfrom the rest of the characters. As such
the learner can establish a unique semantic interpretation in a possible
shortest time.
In
the same way, Tal-muskoa /ط/ is disambiguated from the symbol /ظ/, though they share closely related
character and shape. The only difference is in the dot placed on top of the
second consonant sound, /ظ/.
Similarly the Ta-kasə/ت/, Ta-kuri/ة/and Tal-muskoa/ط/ phonologically havea
very closephonemic quality. However, all sounds are disambiguated in practical
terms.
In the spirit of keeping the leaner to grasp the sound
equivalent of the Arabic characters, they domesticate the symbols by adopting
human attributes, such as Tal- muskoa'hand', ha-suroa
'protruded stomach', fazawor'divorced fa', ta-kasә'weaned',
ayinarewua'with a turban' etc. are human qualities attached to the
symbols and cArabic characters, for easy identification and codification while
articulating the symbols.
4.3 Group (c) //ع/, /ﻌ/, /
ﻊ/
Group (c) data available in the group demonstrates the
same audio quality with one another. Basically, the symbol //ع/ is described as Ayin and the position where it occur
determines the shape of the symbol. For example, Ayin at the morpheme
medial position is called AyinArewua, /ﻌ/,
or Ayin with aturban, while the Ayin that occurs at the end of a
morpheme / ﻊ/ is described as AyinKashingoFərrami
meaning the Ayin which looks a chameleon tail. The /
ﻊ/ looks like the coiled image of a tail of a chameleon. In this
process, metonymic expression is used. One characteristics of the chameleon
(i.e. the tail) is taken to describe the Arabic sound Ayin and nativized
to call as AyinKashingoFərrami.
4.4 Group (d) / ﻠ/, / ﻞ/, /ﻢ /, /ﻦ /, / ﻰ /, /ے/
Data No. 1,Lam / ﻠ/, at the
medial position is called Lam katə. Whereas the Lam that occurs
at the word final position is called Lam-kəshau. All the letters in
group d), when they come at the end of word is called kәshau. For
example, Min-kəshau /ﻢ/, Nun-Kəshau,/ﻦ / and Ya-Kəshau /ﻰ
/. In respect to the meaning of Kəshau, our finding, yet to,
conclusively and confidently point to what kəshau is referring to? Other
than those sounds (lam-kəshau, Min-kəshau, Nun-kəshauand Ya-kəshau)
terminate the preceding sounds and they also have similar shapes. However, in
the Kufic writing style the tail of the Yalooks rightward, as in
[fi] /؋ﮯ/ and it is called Ya-ngənyi,
in the Kufic writing style. Ya-ngənyi means the orphan Ya.
A human attribute is attached to the sound for easy description and graphic
realization of the consonant sound [fii]/؋ﮯ/.
The tail of the Nuskhistyle looks leftward as
in /فِي/ [fii] and it
is known as Ya-Kəshau, /فِي/fii.
Both sounds have the same audio emission.
The process has fragmented and simplified every symbol
according to the sound qualities and the graphic representations, that connect
to the sociocultural orientation of the both the teacher and the learner
respectively. They are articulated and produced in Kanuri Ajami with full
phonetics and phonological motivations.The domestication of the Arabic
consonant sounds has captured the phonologies of the symbols of the Arabic and
Kanuri languages and each phoneme occurs unequivocally. The whole process is termed
by Seyomouret al (2003) as phonological awareness. It makes the learner
to understand the bahaviour and operation of the sounds in the two
languages.
There are three things involved in this process; one
the mental representation of the alphabet, two the sound decoding which based
on the ability to order and articulate it to the audio emission and three,
logographical process that bound by the sociocultural endowment and resources
of the teacher and the leaner on the other hand, fermented the process and made
the teaching learning simple. In other words the conceptual meaning of an
alphabet or word constitutes a major part of the shared system of a language
for all speakers. It a critical element of human communication since it is a
major factor in language. The use of this process has been described as
componential analysis. It is a major process in structural semantics (Ogbulogo
2005).
5. Recommendations
These sounds whether
homographs or homophones, some of them are closely related, especially, in
respect to their sounds and shapes. But, each phonetically disambiguated for
easy reference for the learner to decode and cognitively attach an associative
meaning, which last longer in the young learner's memory. Therefore, since, the
traditional method of teaching proved to be productive the paper recommends the
followings:
1.
Within the realms of the sounds inventory of
the two languages, the multiple layers of the Arabic–Kanuri Ajami domesticated
and nativized sounds, it obviously emphasized to achieve multiple
teaching-learning objectives. Therefore, the use of simplistic and holistic
approach in teaching learning activities is paramount.
2.
The adoption and application of the
student-Centre method should be encouraged. They should be given ample opportunities to discover and differentiate
sounds and shapes of the characters by relating to the objects in the
environment.
3.
Language is an integral part of our culture
therefore sociolinguistic resources of the society should be given preference
in order to reflect the needs and aspiration of the people, while curriculum
planning as well as during lesson presentations.
4.
The Sangaya School system is not based on a paperqualification
only, but students have to prove and defend their qualifications (i.e. the
level they attain in their studies) and practically present what they have
learnt, through the modus operandi that governing the Sangaya School System.
Therefore, if this this system is applied it could curtail and discourage, for
example, the perpetual production of fake degrees and NYSC certificates that
become a menace to social, political and economic development of the country.
5.
The revitalized agency, "National
Commission for Almajiri and Out-of School Children Education" should work
hand-in-hand with Qur'anic oriented Institutions, Centres for Qur'anic Studies
in the Universities and Sangaya School across the nation. As such, government,
through the commission should establish and maintain a cordial and strong
relation with these institutions. Furthermore, the Commission should also
formulate policies that sustain and regulate the activities of the Almajiri and
out-of-School Children effectively.
6. Conclusion
So far, it is deduced from the ongoing analysis that
the teaching techniques used by the teachers is connected to the abstract ideas
in order to bring to closer imagination of the students to form the mental
images of the characters. The other point worthy of mentionis that, the use of
local terms, such as fazawar,AyinKashingoFərrami,
Takasə, Tal muskoaetc. have significantly proved to be
productive and accepted throughout the Kanuri Tsangayasystem of
education. Even though, the study could not confidentlymake reference to the
exact date, when the metaphorical expressions of the Arabic-Kanuri symbols and
the Nativization started, the system is plausible and operational.
Indeed, it could be pointedout that, the advent of Islamic education in Kanem
Borno was perceived to be the starting point of the Tsangayasystem of
education in the region.
The
phonetically, phonologically and semanticallymotivated teaching
proceduresachieved the desired learning objectives, through the Nativization.
Even though, the traditional approach is efficient and beneficial throughout
the history of TsangayaEducation, the concept of teaching ideas (i.e.
from simple to complex, hard to abstract) shouldbe advocated by the teachers to
enhance the existing practices in the teacher education.
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[1]
Alveolar sound is produced with complete blockage at the point where the tip of
the tongue makes contact with the alveolar ridge. In producing /t/ and /d/, the
air stream is closed off at the sides of the tongue while the passage of air is
allowed only through a narrow constriction over the centre of the tongue (Osisanwo:
2012 pp. 62-64).
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