Hausa Bible History (3)

**List: Hausa Ministry Bible ( Littafi Mai Tsarki ) Hausa... HAUSSA. "THE Haussa is one of the most widely-extended languages of Western Africa.   It commences at Fundah, and, following the course of the river Chadda, is used at Jacoba, Buzum, Aja, Kerbi, Shera, and other places.   On the east, it is conterminous with the Bornu; and on the west, with the Yoruba languages: its extension north and west is undetermined.   Although spoken by a people of pure negro race, it has grammatical affinities with the Shemitic languages.   Its pronouns and a few of its words are of undoubted Shemitic origin; but it is difficult to trace the etymology of Haussa words, on account of the alterations to which they are subjected in accordance with the euphonic laws of the language.   The prepositions are similar to the Berber; and Haussa adjectives, like the Berber, are very few in number, the deficiency being supplied in both languages by means of a periphrasis, con- sisting of the relative and verb.   In Haussa there is neither definite nor indefinite article.   Their place is supplied by personal or demonstrative pronouns.   There are two numbers, singular and plural; but the formation of the plural is so irregular, that it is difficult to give special rules for it.   The Haussa seems, in this respect, to partake of the multiplicity of Arabic plurals in the so called broken form. Thus, e.g. aïki, work, plural aïkoki; dutshi, stone, plural duasu; saïfa, spleen, plural saïfofi; etc.   As to genders, there are two, masculine and feminine; they are distinguished from each other by certain words prefixed, and by a change of termination, especially in adjectives.    There is, strictly speaking, no declension of nouns in Haussa.   The cases are expressed by pre- positions, or by the place words occupy in the sentence.   Adjectives do not differ in termination from verbs or nouns, and the degrees of comparison are expressed by ‘fi,’ to excel, and ‘duka,’ all, respec- tively.   The pronouns are indeclinable, and verbs, as far as the language is known at present, do not seem to express mood, tense, or number, by inflection, but by the addition of letters and particles, and by the aid of the personal pronouns which accompany the verb both in its active and passive form.   There are some auxiliary verbs, very irregular in their formation; and the most common form of active verbs is thus conjugated: Pres. Ina soh, I am loving; Pret. Na soh, I loved; Fut. Ni isoh, I shall love, etc.    The Gospel according to St. Matthew was translated into this language prior to the year 1841, by the Rev. Mr. Schön, of the Church My. Society.   He was aided by the Rev. Samuel Crowther, whose native language is Yoruba, and whose knowledge of that idiom tended to illustrate obscurities in Haussa.   Mr. Schön is still prosecuting the translation of the Scriptures, under the auspices of the Church My. Society.   The book of Genesis was first completed, and an edition of 500 copies was printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1857.   The book of Exodus has been sub- sequently printed.   The Gospel of St. John, and the Acts, have also passed through the press.""--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only] HAUSSA.--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: n.d. Matthew 25:1-13 unknown.]

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