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 analysed the differences 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 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.