Hausa

noun

Hau·​sa ˈhau̇-sə How to pronounce Hausa (audio)
-zə
plural Hausa or Hausas
1
: the Chadic language of the Hausa people widely used in western Africa as a trade language
2
: a member of a people of northern Nigeria and southern Niger

Examples of Hausa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Some girls request a translation from Ms. Habila in Hausa, their native language. Kate Okorie, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2024 Yoruba, but in Hausa and in Igbo and in Pidgin and in more languages. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Aug. 2023 The border regions of both countries share a similar ethnic makeup: Hausa, Fulani and other groups. Ismail Alfa, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2023 In Nigeria, our tribes—Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Édo, and hundreds more—coupled with our belief systems, make up our identity. Rita Omokha, ELLE, 14 Apr. 2022 In West Africa, many Muslim viewers recognize Arabic loan words heard in Hindi films, as the same loan words are found in their own languages such as Wolof, Fulani, Serer, Hausa, and Dagbani. Katie Young, Quartz, 20 Mar. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Hausa Hausā

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hausa was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near Hausa

Cite this Entry

“Hausa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hausa. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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