The Hausa Language: An Encyclopedic Reference Grammar [Hardcover]

Professor Paul Newman (Author), Paul Newman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000 | ISBN-10: 0300081898 | ISBN-13: 978-0300081893

This book is a comprehensive grammar of Hausa, one of the largest and most important languages of Africa. Hausa is spoken by some 35 million people as a first language and approximately 15 million more as a second language. Paul Newman, a world authority on the Hausa language, draws on two centuries of Hausa linguistic scholarship to provide the most authoritative and detailed grammar of the language ever written. Unlike other grammars, this book is organised alphabetically. Readers will appreciate the ease with which they can find the specific individual topics that interest them. The grammar covers such expected topics as tonology, noun plurals, and verbal tense/aspect as well as often neglected topics, including verbal idioms, proper names, and language games. Newman also incorporates historical linguistic notes that explain and explicate current Hausa phenomena, especially puzzling anomalies, in terms of their Chadic and Afroasiatic origins.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There simply is not has never been a Hausa grammar that comes close to matching this work. Anyone involved with Hausa teaching or linguistics should have a copy handy." Patrick Bennett, University of Wisconsin at Madison

About the Author

Paul Newman is professor in the department of linguistics at Indiana University. He is the author or coauthor of twelve books, including West African Travels and Adventures: Two Autobiographical Narratives from Northern Nigeria, published by Yale University Press.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300081898
• ISBN-13: 978-0300081893
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,302,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Most impressive, June 10, 2008

By 

Erik (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hausa Language: An Encyclopedic Reference Grammar (Hardcover)

I have many grammars, but this one is the most impressive work I've ever seen. It is a encyclopedic reference grammar rather than a grammar used for teaching a language. The scope and thoroughness is like nothing I've ever seen before. There should be such grammars for every language.