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From body to space and time: Hausa gaba and baya

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Submitted on 30 Nov 2011

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From body to space and time: Hausa gaba and baya

Bernard Caron

To cite this version:

Bernard Caron. From body to space and time: Hausa gaba and baya. Petr Zima et Veronika Tax. Language and Location in Space and Time, Lincom Europa, Münich, pp.36-44, 1998. �halshs-00644910�

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From body to space and time

Hausa gaba and baya.

Bernard CARON INALCO - LLACAN1

It is common in languages of the world to have grammatical words deriving from lexical words, and more precisely adverbs and prepositions deriving from names of body parts. Hausa is no exception. If we have a look at prepositions, Hausa has few « true » prepositions: Ñ(in, at on), å.xå.vÑ(relatively to), fÑ (at), cÑ(with), cÑfÑ(from), ahrÑ(on)-1

Pseudo-prepositions are then derived from names of body parts, like ffia`m (in front of), aÖx`m (behind), bhjhm (inside),'Ñ(fhmchm (at the bottom of), derived respectively from fÑaÖ (the

chest); aÖxÖ (the back); bhjß (the inside, the stomach) and the fhmcß'the buttocks).

In this paper, we will study the semantic variations that characterize and account for the use of two lexical notions (aÖxÖ, the back and fÑaÖ, (i) the chest, the front of body of person or

animal, or (ii)(euphemism) male or femal genital organs ) in different parts of Hausa

grammar, and will link those observations with cognitive considerations.

From aÖxÖ'l-(are derived aÖx` (adv.) : behind, backwards. aÖx`m (prép. & conj.) (i) :

afterü:'hh(adghmc-

From fÑaÖ (m.) are derived : fÑa` (adv.) : in front, forward, ahead ;fÑa`m(prép.) : (i) in

front of, before (ii) beyond, on the other side of.

1. Body parts

Let us see a few examples of the use of those notions naming body parts. 3

1.1 aÖxÖ

0- C`0-r`ehx`0-s`0-xh0-r`h0-x`0-j`qfld0-mh0-c`f`0-a`x`m0-tv`s`0-x`0-`y`0-mh0-`0-jv`bbhx`q0-rhqc hmr`+cnlhmx`ihs`tr`xhmtv`s`c`s`jdfnxdc`mh-ZR-T-+14\

In the morning, he took me from my mother's back and put me on the pommel of his saddle, because he was having pity of my mother who was carrying me on her back.

1- Stm1-c`1-x`1-j`l`1-g`mx`1-a`h1-v`hv`x`1-l`1-x`1-ctah1-f`qhm1-a`+1-r`h1-c`1-x`1-s`aa`s` `q`mr`bdv`x`a`rgha`x`c`f`rjd-ZR-T-+8\

When he left, he did not even turn back to look at the town, but he only thought about leaving the town for good. (lit :aÖrgåaÖxÖ = give it (the) back)

1

4ter, route des Gardes - 92190 MEUDON - FRANCE - caron@cnrs-bellevue.fr

1 May be we can iclude ytv•(towards) although it is derived from the verb yÚ.iõ(venir/partir). 3

The Hausa examples are taken from a short story, Shehu Umar (hence S.U.), written by Sir Abubakar Tafawa êalewa. It relates the story of a small Hausa boy who, captured and sold a slave to the Arabs, becomes a renowned marabout.

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2

1.2 fÑaÖ

2- Hx`khmr`ctjr`hrtj``lr`f`a`È`x`rtj`bdZ---\ZR-T-+3\

All his parents answered together and said [...] (lit. fÑaÖÈ`x` = one front)

3- FÑa`mrÑx`eÖÈå-'@aq`g`l+166a(

He lost heart. (lit. his front fell)

4- Rtmr¨fÑaÖf`aÑr-'hc-(

They turned eastward. (lit. they put front eastward)

1.3 aÖx` = adverb

When preceded by the preposition fi(at), aÖxÖ can be used in a locative sense meaning on

the back. The final vowel is shortened and the final result is the adverbial phrase fiaÖx`.

5- Z---\r`hjnv`bdl`bds`È`tjhÈ`ms`s`r`fl``a`x`-ZR-T-+04\

[...] then each woman took her child and put [it] on [her] back. (ÑaÖx`: at back)

2. Space

2.1 Adverbs

The first use of aÖxÖ`mcfÑaÖwith a meaning that no longer refers to body parts but to space only is in the adverbial derivation.4 This derivation is characterized by a shortening of the final vowel :aÖxÖ > aÖx` ; fÑaÖ > fÑa`.

6- Z---\6-ltj`6-j`l`6-g`mx`q6-fhc`-6-L`hfhc`llt6-x`m`6-a`x`6-c`6-jv`qh6-c`6-a`j`6-`6- q`s`xd+jtl`‡`mmdmr`ahxtrtm`f`a`c`m`rtj`x`me`È``q`s`xd-Ltx`q` c`l`s`ltm`sr`jhx`qrt-ZR-T-+04\

[...] we took the way home. Our chief was behind carrying his bow and arrow, his two younger brothers were in front with their own weapons. We, children and women, we were between them.

7- Rtj`bd+!Vtbdlts`eh-! 

Rtj`r`rgh`f`a`rtm`s`hmfhy`qr`g`qrtj`s`gnc`rghj`mhx`j`-ZR-T-+6\

They said "Let's go."

They put him in front, they pushed him until they took him to the limit [of the village].

8- Rtj`8-r`jd8-xhm8-a`m8-jv`m`8-`8-vtqhm+8-L`j`t8-x`8-xh8-f`a`+8-l`g`qah8-x`8-jnl`8-c` a`x`ytv`hmc`c`x`g`Ètc`L`j`t-ZR-T-+8\

There, they said good-bye again, Makau went forward, the hunter went back to the place where he had met Makau.

0/-m`f`a`x`xhf`a`+m`a`x`r`hk`a`qh-ZR-T-+4\

The one who is in front goes on; those left behind can only comment. (proverb)

2.2 Prepositions

The prepositions are formed by adding the genitive link to the name of the body part, thus forming a noun phrase with its complement.

4

Remarquons que dans les exemples (3) et (5), les emplois métaphoriques du nom des parties du corps s’appuient sur l’orientation intrinsèque du corps humain.

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3

1-1-0 fÑa`m

00-M`ynm`ctq‡tr`f`a`ma`‡nmm`m+m`lh‡`l`r`x`j`qfl`x`rg`-ZR-T-+18\

I went and kneeled in front of the guest, gave him [the drink], he took [it] and drank.

01- C`01-y`01-`01-s`rgh01-r`h01-l`hfhc`m`01-x`01-jhq`01-mh01-x`01-È`tjd01-mh01-x`01-Ènq`01-mh01-`01-f`a`mr`01-`01-a hr`j`mq`‡tlhmr`-ZR-T-+22\

As we were leaving, the master called me, took me and put me before him on his camel.

1-1-1 aÖx`m

02- A`02-`02-ihl`02-a`02-r`h02-m`02-e`q`02-ihm02-ftqm`mhm02-v`mh02-`at02-l`h02-a`m02-srnqn02-`02-a`x`m02-È`jh -ZR-T-+10\

Soon I heard a frightful growling behind the hut.

03-!@&`+x`s`eha`x`mf`qh+`ll`y`hc`vnfnad-!

"No, he went to some villages (lit. behind town), but he will come back tomorrow."

04- C`04-x`04-r`j`04-mh04-`04-a`x`mr`04-x`xhm04-c`04-y`h04-jv`ms`+04-`ll`04-c`04-x`04-e`q`04-fv`qshm04-m` msrnqnx`j`l`mhZ---\ZR-T-+10\

He had put me behind him before lying down, but when he started to snore, I was frightened [...]

2.2.3 Orientation

The spatial orientation at work here is obvious, from the orientation of the the human body itself, with the face and the eyes giving a direction. Nevertheless, a diffence between Hausa and European languages like French of English as regards spatial orientation is worth noticing here.5 If a speaker (S) is looking at two objects (A and B) which he wants to locate, whereas a European speaker would say (a) « B is behind A », or « B est derrière A » (which lexically corresponds to aÖx`m in Hausa), a Hausa speaker would rather use (b) « Am•fÑa`m@ » (lit. « B. is in front of A », « B est devant A »):

This means that, whereas in European languages, this type of spacial location is speaker-centered, in Hausa it is object-centered.

3. Time

The spatial orientation given by the body is reproduced in the representation of time. The oriention of visual perception is parallelled in the representation of time, which is oriented from the "back" to the "front", with « past » in the back of the speaker and « future » ahead.6

5

See (HILL 1982) for more details. 6

If this is the case for French, English and Hausa, it is not necessarily so for all languages.

S A B (a)

(b)

English : « B is behind A » (a) French : « B est derrière A » (a) Hausa : « Am•fÑa`m@ » (b)

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4 We will thus find a rough equivalence between the chest (fÑaÖ) and the future on the one hand, and the back (aÖxÖ) and the past on the other hand.

3.1 Adverbs

2-0-0 cÑfÑfÑa`<m`mfÑa` = in the future

05M`mfÑa`+jñqh‡ÑrgÖqâÈÖjåmjñ 

In the future, you should sweep your room!

2-0-1 ÑaÖx`<in the past, previously

06-ÑaãmcÑltjÑf`x•ÑaÖx`---(Gouffé 79)

What we said previously...

2-0-2 ÑfÑa`<cÑfÑaÖx`<later on

However, this general symmetry is blurred with the expression of "later on". Both notions can be used, but with different prepositions : fi, at in the case of cÑfÑ, from in the case of aÖx`.

07- Sn+07-r`h07-e`07-jh07-È`tjh07-g`m‡tqh+07-jhm07-r`m07-g`khm07-x`qnm+07-jtkktl07-`ahm07-c`07-x`07-jd07-rn07-x `xhhma``a`qrgha`r`hx`xhjtj`+`ll`hc`m`m`a`qhmr`x`xh`ahmc`x` rn`f`a`a`y`hihc`cha`-ZR-T-+07\

Well, be patient, you know how a child is, the thing he wants to do, if you don't let him do it, he will cry, but if you let him do the thing that he wants to do, later he won't be happy.

08- Hm`08-rn08-j`08-xh08-l`r`08-g`khm08-`qyhjh+08-j`08-ktq`08-c`08-rgh+08-j`08-a`08-rgh08-fnm`08-c`08-vtqhm08-c`08-y `hxhfhc`+cnlhmx`m`c`hx`khrtm`ytv`c`f`a`x`-ZR-T-+0/\

I want you to treat him well, to take care of him, to give him a place to farm and build a house, because he has a family that will come later.

3.2 Prepositions

2-1-0 fÑa`m

This use of fÑaÖis not common. No example is to be found in S.U. One example is found in Abraham’s dictionary. (ABRAHAM 1962)

1/-AÑÑr`mÑaãmcÑx`e•qtÑfÑa`mqÇmm`ma`-'@aq`g`l519168a(

It is not known what happened after that day. (lit. in front of that day)

MA-cÑfÑqÇmm`m+nqb`mfÑa`'be-dw-mØ05(hroqdedqqdcsnÑfÑa`mqÇmm`m-

2-1-1 aÖx`m

10-A`x`mv`mm`mrtj`y`tm`rtj`xhs`s`Èhg`qZ---\ZR-T-+07\

After this, they sat down and chatted until [...]

11-!A`x`mf`hrtv`+f`v`mm`mltstlrtm`mr`L`j`tZ---\ZR-T-+04\

(6)

5

12- R`h12-hmm`12-s`12-e`q`12-sr`ll`mh12-`12-q`ms`12-jn12-@kk`g12-x`12-jhq`xd12-mh12-md12-a`x`m12-s`rghmrt12- c`f`J`f`q`-ZR-T-+15\

Then, mother started thinking to herself that maybe god had called me back (e.g. I had died) after their departure from Kagara.

13- X`qnm13-m`m13-c`h13-a`x`m13-s`rghmjh13-c`13-jv`m`13-s`q`+13-v`mh13-È`m13-r`md13-x`13-r`bd13-rgh-13-ZR -T-+16\

This boy, nine days after you had left, a sorcerer kidnapped him.

In the following example, notice the translation of aÖx`mby « before » instead of the usual « after ».

14-A`mr`jdf`mhms`a`r`ha`x`mrgdj`qtc`x`v` ZR-T-+07\

I did not see her again before many years.

3.3 Conjunctions

In conjunctions, there is no equivalent to fÑaÖ, and instead, the word j•ehmis borrowed from Arabic :

2-2-0 )fÑa`m<j•ehm

15-J`ehmrtrghqx`l`g`q`mrtmxhmhr`-ZR-T-+4\

Before they got ready, the raiders had gone far.

16-Stmj`ehmr`ehx`s`xhL`j`tx`qhf`x`x`rghqx`r`q`hZ---\ZR-T-+0/\

Before the morning had arrived, Makau was already well prepared [...]

2-2-1 aÖx`m

aÖx`m appears regularly as a conjunction meaning « after (that)... », and is used to locate a chronological succession of events. The locating event, or locator (following aÖx`m) is in the non-relative tenses (Perfect and Continuous). The located events are in the relative tenses (Relative Perfect and Relative Continuous).

17- A`x`m17-`m17-f`l`17-v`rgd,v`rgdm17-m`m17-ctj`+17-r`h17-`j`17-g`È`17-j`x`m17-`j`17-j`vn17-vt qhmR`qjh-ZR-T-+7\

After they had finished ransacking [the house], they gathered the goods and brought them to the emir.

18- Z---\18-`ll`18-l`mynm18-R`qjh18-a`h18-s`rgh18-yn18-l`r`18-a`18-r`h18-a`x`m18-`m18-xh18-r`kk`q18-`y`g`q -ZR-T-+0/\

[...] but the messenger of the emir did not come to his place until (after) they had done the afternoon prayer.

2/-A`x`ms`ehs`j`È`mr`hj`j`s`s`bhj`+Z---\  ZaÖx`msÖeås`---\

Not long after she had gone, her grand-mother died, [...]

20- V`s`20-q`m`20-v`idm20-fnrghm20-k`&`r`q20-a`x`m20-Rg`hgt20-Tl`q20-x`20-a`20-c`20-j`q`st20-f`20-`k l`ihq`mr`++r`hv`mh`kl`ihqhmr`x`s`la`xdrghbdv`+Z---\ZR-T-+0\

(7)

6

21- A`x`m21-v`mm`m21-x`21-‡`qd+21-21-bhjhm21-jx`jjx`v`m21-g`kh21-s`qd21-c`21-tv`s`21-`21-fhc`m21-L`j `t+r`hq`mm`mZ---\ZR-T-+2\

After this was finished, peacefully with mother in Makau’s house, when one day [...]

aÖx`mcÑ is a variant of aÖx`m- The locator (following aÖx`mcÑ) is in the relative tenses (Relative Perfect and Relative Imperfect)

22-A`x`mc``j`f`l`ghq`ctj`L`j`trghf`fhc`cnlhmjv`ms`-ZR-T-+8\

After they had finished talking, Makau went home to his bed.

23-A`x`mc``j`ihl``lr`l`s`+Z---\ZR-T-+0/\

After a while, then he answered her, [...]

24-A`x`mc`lts`mdmm`mrtj`f`l`s`Èhrtj`gts`+s`rgh+Z---\ZR-T-+03\

After those people had finished talking and had rested, they got up, [...]

This use may nevertheless look strange if we consider that a « natural » derivation from body parts, would be for fÑa`'m(to refer to the future and aÖx`'m(to the past, if we follow the anthropomorphic orientation. For this type of chronological succession, where one is, as it were, « facing the future », fÑa`m is the only choice in so far as conjunctions are concerned. This means that this anthropomorphic explanation does not hold here.

4. Cognitive considerations

An explanation may be found if we examine a metaphorical use of the word aÖxÖ, (back) meaning in this case the end, the completion.

25-MÖf`aÖx`m`hjß-'@aq`g`l+81`(

I've finished the work (lit. I've seen the back of work)

So, the point of view is not anthropomorphic, but objective. What is considered here is the completion of the event, and the other events are located in relation to that completion. The point of view is aspectual, and not temporal.

Now, we can explain what happens in (18) and (19) where ÑfÑa``mccÑfÑaÖx`are both translated as later on:

07- Sn+07-r`h07-e`07-jh07-È`tjh07-g`m‡tqh+07-jhm07-r`m07-g`khm07-x`qnm+07-jtkktl07-`ahm07-c`07-x`07-jd07-rn07-x `xhhma``a`qrgha`r`hx`xhjtj`+`ll`hc`m`m`a`qhmr`x`xh`ahmc`x` rn`f`a`a`y`hihc`cha`-ZR-T-+07\

Well, be patient, you know how a child is, the thing he wants to do, if you don't let him do it, he will cry, but if you let him do the thing that he wants to do, later he won't be happy.

08- Hm`08-rn08-j`08-xh08-l`r`08-g`khm08-`qyhjh+08-j`08-ktq`08-c`08-rgh+08-j`08-a`08-rgh08-fnm`08-c`08-vtqhm08-c`08-y `hxhfhc`+cnlhmx`m`c`hx`khrtm`ytv`c`f`a`x`-ZR-T-+0/\

I want you to treat him well, to take care of him, to give him a place to farm and build a house, because he has a family that will come later.

In (19), the point of view is objective and aspectual. The arrival of the family is located in relation to the actions of the father (farm, build a house). Whereas in (18), « he won’t be happy » is located in relation to the speaker. The point of view is anthropomorphic and temporal, which explains the use of ÑfÑa`.

(8)

7

5. Summary

body parts space time

noun adverbs prepositions adverbs prepositions conjunctions fÑaÖ

the chest, the front part of body fÑa` in front fÑa`m in front of ÑfÑa` in the future, later on (fÑa`m) before j•ehm before aÖxÖ the back aÖx` at the back aÖx`m behind ÑaÖx` in the past, previously cÑfÑaÖx` later on aÖx`m after aÖx`m after

References

ABRAHAM, R. C. 1962. Dictionary of the Hausa Language. 2nd ed. London: Hodder and Stoughton. xxvii + 992 pp.

HILL, C. A. 1982. 'Up/down', 'front/back', 'left/right': a contrastive study of Hausa and English. In Here and There: Cross-linguistic Studies on Deixis and Demonstration, eds. J. Weissenborn, W. Klein. pp. 13-42. Amsterdam: John Benjamins

ROBERT, Stéphane. (1990) Puisque et le dos en wolof : tempête dans le signifié. Le gré des

Langues 1.

TAFAWA êALEWA, Abubakar. 1966 [1955] Shaihu Umar. Zaria (Nigeria) : The Northern Nigerian Publishing Company. 49 p.

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