Hausa greetings and greeting formulas
…( ) points out that greetings are part of communication in which cultural differences are strong, emphasizing further that ‘we should adapt to these specific differences in order to communicate effectively.’ This invariably means our being able to select the appropriate manners of greeting in different cultures and social contexts will enhance not only our communication but also our interaction with our interlocutors. Thus as in various other social contexts in Hausa society, greetings too require appropriate handling particularly based on the gender of the person one is interacting with, both in respect of gestures as well as wordings. These may include handshake, bowing, social and physical …show more content…
Therefore, barring a few contexts and individuals (such as among certain government functionaries and functions), the application of handshake as greeting gesture is strictly male-to-male and female-to-female linguacultural affair. Besides handshake, there is the culture of bowing, which though frequently frowned at by certain segments of the religious establishment in Hausa society, has continued to be widely used in a variety of ways as an entrenched greeting gesture and cultural norm among Hausawa. ##Some of the bowing postures can be seen below: (Drawings needed here). Artist to show (i) greeting by a simple bow (ii) greeting by a medium-size bow and (iii) greeting by kneeling …show more content…
(Pls add column for Gloss below)
Mode of Leave-taking Sample of spoken mode of greeting Accompanying body language Target class of people Remarks
Sai an jima Malam Sani sai an jima. With or without a handshake or waive of hand. General for all categories of people
Sai gobe Malam Garba sai gobe. With or without a handshake or waive of the hand. General for all categories of people
Sai jibi Jama’a sai jibinku. With or without a handshake or waive of the hand. General for all categories of people
Sai da safe Jama’a sai da rananku. With or without a handshake or waive of the hand. General for all categories of people
Sai da rana Jama’a sai da rananku. With or without a handshake or waive of the hand. General for all categories of people.
Sai da yamma Mutane sai da yammanku. With or without a handshake or waive of the hand. General for all categories of people.
A huta lafiya/Mu huta lafiya. Jama’a a huta lafiya/Mu huta lafiya. With or without a handshake or waive of the hand. General for all categories of people.
Ka zama