Explaining Hausa Feminines

Abstract

The formation of feminine words in Hausa is explained in terms of three distinct processes: (a) Derivation (marked by {-nyaa}), i.e. the change from masculine (male) to feminine (female); (b) Inflection (marked by {-aa}), i.e. the expression of a gender feature provided by concord rules; and (c) Overt Characterization (also marked by {-aa}). i.e. the historical addition of an overt gender marker to inherently feminine nouns. The process of overt characterization (= "hypercharacterization") explains why almost all feminine nouns in Hausa now end in -aa when historically they can be presumed to have occurred with all five final vowels. It also accounts for the presence of an overt feminine suffix on nouns that cannot be considered derived. A clear distinction between the separate suffixes {-nyaa} and {-aa} leads to a straightforward, regular description of feminine forms, in terms of segmentals as well as tones. Finally, it is shown how the analysis of "secondary verbal nouns" (deverbative nouns) can be simplified if seemingly diverse forms are treated as related masculine/feminine pairs.