The Grade 5 (Causal) Verbs of Hausa
             
                                               MATSUSHITA, Shuji
                                       
        
0.  Hausa Causals, Basic Principle
  Among all Hausa dialects, the grade 5 causals are formed by adding the
endings to the basic verb roots.  Thus constructed, they carry a 
distinct tonal pattern.  For example, Kano dialect form 'to make someone
learn, to teach' shows;

    Base:       kaRant-         HL          'to learn'
    Grade 5:    kaRant-aR       HH-H        (no object following)
                kaRant-ad da    HH-H L      (with an object following)
                kaRant-asshee-  HH-HH       (with an objective suffix)
               
  The three way differentiation of verbal forms, 1) with no object 
(0-o), 2) with a noun object (n-o) and 3) with a pronominal object 
(p-o), is a common feature in Hausa language.  The typical examples 
are:
  
            1)  kaama           LH          'catch!'
            2)  kaama kiifii    LL          'catch a fish!'
            3)  kaamaa-shi      LH          'catch him!'
            
But causal differentiation, 0-o, n-o/p-o, p-o, is not very clear-cut as
other typical three way forms.  Why is this overlapping necessary, and 
how has it developed into present form?

1.  Kano Base Forms
  Being located on the cultural, economic and demographic center of 
gravity in Hausaland, Kano area, the heartland of Eastern Hausa dialect,
has been also the center of linguistic innovation.  Most recent 
innovations tend to propagate from metropolitan Kano to the rest of 
Hausaland.

  Nowadays, the causal verb with no object ends with trill /-R/.
                naa sayaR        H HH        'I sold (it)'
But, an archaic variant /-s/ can be understood, though it has become 
almost obsolete.
                naa sayas        H HH        'I sold (it)'

  Also, when a causal object inducer /da/ follows, /-s/ form can appear
sometimes with an extremely archaic connotation.   /-R/ form in the same
context occurs more frequently.
                naa sayas da shi H HH L H    'I sold it'
                naa sayaR da shi H HH L H    'I sold it'                                       
2.  Kano Historical Change Deduced
  Before the word-final /-R/ consonant change occured, Kano hausa had 
had two forms, not the usual three-way differentiation.
                *kaRantas       0-object
                *kaRantasshee-  p-object
When it was necessary to state a noun object, preposition /da/ was 
inserted betwen 0-o verb and the noun as an object inducer.
                *kaRantas da kuR'aani  'to make someone read Kur'an'
Thus, the three-way differentiation was formed.
                1) *kaRantas       0-object
                2) *kaRantas da    n-object/p-object
                3) *kaRantasshee-  p-object

  Then came along the change of word-final consonant into /-R/.  At the
later stage, powerful consonant gemination changed */-R da/ into the 
present form /-d da/.

  To attest the origin of two-way causal forms, the pronoun object 
following /da/ is an independent form, while the object following 
/-sshee/ is a bound pronominal suffix.
                naa fid da shii    'I took it out'
                naa fisshee-shi    'I took it out'                               

3.  More murky Sokkoto causals.
  Compared to Kano causals, Sokkoto causals are near chaos.  (Here, -C 
represents a regressively assimilated consonant).  
  
            amrassuwaa      HHHL        'to marry (0-o, n-o, p-o)'
            amrassuwa       HHHL        'to marry s.o. (n-o)'
            amrassuwa-C     HHHL        'to marry s.o. (n-o)'
            amrasshee-      HHH         'to marry s.o. (p-o)'
            amrad da        HH L        'to marry s.o. (n-o, p-o)'
            amram ma-       HH H        'to marry to s.o. (0-o)'
            amrassa-y       HHF         'to marry him (p-o)'
  
            saysuwaa        HHL         'to sell something (0-o, n-o, p-o)'
            saysuwa         HHL         'to sell something (n-o)'
            saysuwa-C       HHL         'to sell something (n-o)'
            sayshee         HH          'to sell something (p-o)'
            saysad da       HH L        'to sell something (n-o, p-o)'
            saysam ma-      HH H        'to sell to someone (n-o, p-o)'
            saysa-y         HF          'to sell it (p-o)'
            
Equivalent Kano forms are:
  
            auraR           HH          'to marry (0-o)
            aurad da        HH L        'to marry s.o. (n-o, p-o)'
            aurasshee-      HHH         'to marry s.o. (p-o)'
            
            sayaR           HH          'to sell (0-o)'
            sayad da        HH L        'to sell something (n-o, p-o)'
            sayshee         HH          'to sell something (p-o)'
                         
4.  A Cause of chaotic state
  The most striking Sokkoto innovation is the addition of /-uwaa/ suffix
to zero-object form.  All Hausa dialects including Sokkoto, a Western 
Hausa, utilize the /-waa/ suffix as a verb-nominalizer, transforming a 
verb into a verbal noun.
  
            kaamaa       HL    'to catch'
            kaamaawaa    HLH   'catching'

  As a verbal noun, this /-uwaa/ causal can connet the object noun with
genitive construction (gemination of the noun initial consonant).  Thus
forming
            hitassuwak ku'd'dii   'to take out money'.
            
  Functioning as a verb at the same time, it can precede an object 
without any modifications, or with the final vowel shortened.
            hitassuwaa ku'd'dii   'to take out money'
            hitassuwaa shi        'to take it out'
            hitassuwa ku'd'dii    'to take out money' (vowel shortening)
            
5.  Further Variant Forms
  Another pronoun-object form has been active, though.  
            hitassh-ee-shi        'to take it out'
            
  Some objective pronominal suffix of Sokkoto have alternate forms in 
this context.
            -shi  L        -ay  F      (3rd. person m. sing.)
            -ni   L        -an  F      (1st. person sing.)
Therefore, next combination appears.
            hitass-ay  F           'to take it out'
            
  Becayse of the intervening /-ee-/ marker to lead the pronominal 
suffix, the preceding causal marker /-ss-/ has been palatalized.  /-ay/
form does not need this intervening /-ee/, and keeps /-ss-/ unchanged.             
                        
  The /da/ form is also quite alive in Sokkoto dialect furtheremore.
            hitad da shi           'to take it out'
            hitad da ku'd'dii      'to take out money'
            
  Accumulating all these variants, the Sokkoto chaos of causal verbs 
has gone outright out of hand!                    
            
6.  Overall Causal Forms Reconstructed
  Obviously, the causal morpheme was /-ss-/ in Proto-Hausa stage.
                 *pita               'to move outwards (base form)'
                 *pita-ss            0-o
                 *pita-ss-ee         p-o
                 *pita-ss da         p-o, n-o
                 
  Next stage is the formation of short forms vis-a-vis regular forms.  
The final one syllable of the verb was knocked off.
                 *pita-ss-ee  -> *pi-ss-ee -> *pis-s-ee 
                 *pita-ss da  -> *pi-ss da
                 
  East West Division occured;
  
  West:  0-o suffix substitution      East: ---
          *hita-ss-uwa
          *hi-ss-uwa
          
  West:  ---                          East: /-C/ -> /-R/
                                        *pita-R
                                        *pi-R da

  Then came a very powerful innovation, which affected  all Hausa 
dialects.  As usual, this movement, the progressive gemination, started
from Kano.  This linguistic change is still alive and productive.                           
  West:  Progressive gemination       East: Progressive Gemination
          *hitad da (<- *hita-ss da)    *pitad da
          *hid da (<- *hi-ss da)        *pid da  (<- *pi-R da)        
          *hitam ma- (<- *hita-ss ma-)  *pitam ma- (<- *pita-R ma-)
          
7.  Conclusion
  The culprit of the chaotic state of Sokkoto causal verbs remains to be
the introduction of one morpheme /-uwaa/.  This single verb nominalizer 
made havoc on the entire causal system, by multiplying variants wildly.



Bibliography:

Matsushita, S.; A Basic Vocabulary of the Sokoto Hausa (Norther 
  Nigeria) - "hausa-go sokoto hoogen (Japanese)",ILCAA, Tokyo
  1991
Matsushita, S.; Bargery Toolbox 2, Hausa Dialect Vocabulary Volume 2,
  ILCAA, Tokyo, 1994