The Contributions of Language to The Cultural Heritage of The Hausa Society
- May 25, 2023
- Posted by: rsispostadmin
- Categories: IJRSI, Language and Literature, Linguistics
The Contributions of Language to The Cultural Heritage of The Hausa Society
Orji Dereck-M. Akachukwu (PhD) & Muomalu, Ukamaka Cynthia
Department of Linguistics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2023.10416
Received: 03 April 2023; Revised: 20 April 2023; Accepted: 26 April 2023; Published: 25 May 2023
Abstract: Language is the most important information and communication characteristic of all human beings. Only human beings have spoken and written language and language is the key note of culture because without it, culture does not exist. Language is power as well as great instrument for cultural preservation and transmission. This paper discusses the influence of language on the Hausa culture. How language affects the Hausa speaking community in Nigeria. This paper points out how language affects the thinking, career, norms, traditions etc. of the speech community of study. It is the medium of language that conveys the socio-political, economic, and religious thoughts from individual to individual and from generation to generation. Language and culture are so intertwined that one cannot survive without the other.
Keywords: Language, Contributions, Cultural heritage, Hausa.
I. Introduction
Language is power. Language is a weapon for cultural preservation and transmission. Only humans have spoken and written language. Other animals can communicate through sounds, gestures, touch and smell, but the meaning of these signals is fixed and their use is limited to the immediate environment and situation. Language on the other hand does not consist of learned symbols or codes that represent something else. Gestures, facial expressions, drawing and numbers are symbols, yet the most useful and flexible symbols remain written and spoken words. These words express cultural values and norms. These words are power packs in decisions, policy, resolution and these words can be combined according to grammatical rules to express need, fear, vision, mission and security (Aja Akpuru Aja, 2008: 2).
