CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF GENDER ADJECTIVES IN ENGLISH AND HAUSA

Abstract

This work examines the adjectival formations in gender as obtainable in Hausa and English languages. In order to achieve this, the work analyzed the difference in the morphological processes inherent in the adjectives of Hausa and English in respect of gender. Findings from the study reveal that there are areas of convergence and divergence between the two languages as could be seen in tables 1a 2a 3a 4a and 5a presented in the analysis where the adjectives in Hausa can be inflected or derived by using inflectional morphemes or derivational morphemes to engender the adjectives. The result also shows that both Hausa and English maintain similarity in respect of attributive and predicative positions which indicates that both languages are inflectional languages, morphologically. However, the study also reveals that there are some Hausa adjectives that cannot show gender in isolation except in sentences. On the other hand, the English language does not show such changes at all levels as presented in tables 1b 2b 3b 4b and 5b from the findings of the research.