Hausa
Americannoun
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a member of an Indigenous people of northern Nigeria and southern Niger whose culture has been strongly influenced by Islam.
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the language of the Hausa people, belonging to the Chadic branch of the Afroasiatic family, widely used in Africa as a language of commerce.
noun
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a member of a Negroid people of W Africa, living chiefly in N Nigeria
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the language of this people: the chief member of the Chadic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages. It is widely used as a trading language throughout W Africa and the S Sahara
Other Word Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Traditional Hausa society stresses background checks on lineage, morality and family reputation before marriage.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
With some 80 million speakers of the north's Hausa language spread across west and central Africa -- not to mention the vast Nigerian diaspora around the world -- Kannywood's potential market is huge.
From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026
Eyewitness Yahaya Mahi told BBC Hausa the location of the school made it difficult for those trying to stop the fire.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2025
In response, Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, told BBC Hausa that the allegations were "baseless" and "false".
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2024
Mohammed opened his door, the car still on, and spoke in rapid, coaxing Hausa.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
