Hausa
Americannoun
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Hausas,
plural
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Hausa
plural
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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
Noun Inflected 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.
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Traditional Hausa society stresses background checks on lineage, morality and family reputation before marriage.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
Arewaflix will be a service "not only for Hausa films, but also for films in other languages from northern Nigeria", including Nupe and Kanuri, Amart said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
It is linked to the Islamic State group and has emphasised more moderate messaging in comparison to Boko Haram and proselytises in Hausa and other local languages to attract recruits.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
Local residents dubbed it Boko Haram - a name which in the Hausa language loosely translates as "Western education is forbidden" because of their opposition to Western-style schools.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
Olanna sat with them for a while, but their Hausa was too swift, too difficult to follow.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In the top eight he had three Hausas, two Kanuris, one Igbo, one Yoruba and one Nupe.
From BBC ● May 26, 2025
"The Hausas have long struggled with alienation… and they tired of being called foreigners," says researcher Mohamed Ahmed, an expert on communities in Sudan with West African ties.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2022
But the Chadian government refused to allow them passage, which led to a community of Hausas eventually settling in Darfur and other parts of Sudan.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2022
Then, tired but fulfilled, the Hausas drifted back to their homes and bar racks to get some breakfast and sleep.
From Time Magazine Archive
Those in front, after a few more shots, turned and fled; the Hausas following in hot pursuit.
From Through Three Campaigns A Story of Chitral, Tirah and Ashanti by Walter Paget
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