From the INTRODUCTION. For a long time there have been several English ways of spelling Hausa words. In 1910, however, an effort was made to establish an authoritative system, and there is no doubt that in time this - or a modification of it - will be the only one recognized. Unfortunately it seems to have some serious defects at present, though I have adopted it as far as I can understand it in these tales because the British Association (which body is bearing the expense of publication) wished them to be available ...
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From the INTRODUCTION. For a long time there have been several English ways of spelling Hausa words. In 1910, however, an effort was made to establish an authoritative system, and there is no doubt that in time this - or a modification of it - will be the only one recognized. Unfortunately it seems to have some serious defects at present, though I have adopted it as far as I can understand it in these tales because the British Association (which body is bearing the expense of publication) wished them to be available generally. Bornu has been rendered Barno in the Hausa text therefore, but it is to be hoped that the old spelling will never be altered in English, for it is much the better. At the same time, the same word has been spelt differently whenever the narrators have pronounced it differently, thus taffi or tehhi to go, dibi or debe to take out, &c., because the book is a record of folk-lore, and not a thesis upon the language. For the same reason mistakes in the grammar have been left uncorrected, though it is hoped that the notes which precede the stories will explain most of the difficulties. These notes were written between 1904 and 1909, and though some have since appeared elsewhere they should be of use as a guide. They are based upon the recognized text-books (which they can in no way replace of course) and personal observations. All Hausa students were asked to help in forming a system, so it is entitled to respect, and as I had no time to respond to the invitation I must not complain because certain points which I had noted privately were not taken into account by the committee. They ought to be stated however, though on the whole there is no doubt that the committee did their work well, because owing to the fact that the Hausa vowels are even more variable than those of the English language, it is almost impossible to spell a word in such a way as to indicate its exact pronunciation. The system was not intended to be of a scientific character, it was drawn up for practical purposes with the view of producing uniformity. To establish a standard is exceedingly difficult, for the pronunciation varies in the different provinces (Sokoto, Sokwoto, &c.), as does the grammar (mata tasa, mata tas, mata tai, matanshi) and the vocabulary (the verb "to be" in Sokoto is a , while there are many local eccentricities such as the interrogative ye in Jemaa, and the o in Keffi). Again, Arabic influence is stronger in the countries in the Sudan than in those nearer the coast, and it shows itself in the speech. Lastly, very little attention is paid by the Hausas themselves to rules of grammar, especially those re agreement in gender, so great laxity should be allowed to Europeans - even in examinations....
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New in New jacket. Hausa Folk-tales: the Hausa Text of the Stories in Hausa Superstitions and Customs, in Folk-lore, and in Other Publications (Paperback or Softback)
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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