A Survey of Hausa Idiomatic Expressions and Their Communicative Functions in Adamawa State

Idiomatic expressions constitute a culturally specific layer of any language that encodes pragmatic meaning beyond literal interpretation, requiring cultural competence to understand and deploy effectively. This study surveys Hausa idiomatic expressions and their communicative functions as used by Hausa-speaking communities in Adamawa State, a linguistically diverse state in North East Nigeria where Hausa functions alongside numerous other languages. A descriptive sociolinguistic design was employed, with data collected through guided elicitation interviews with 100 fluent Hausa speakers across three local government areas in Adamawa, including Yola North, Ganye, and Numan. Recorded natural speech samples were also analysed for idiomatic usage in context. Collected idioms were classified by communicative function including expressing disapproval, conveying advice, marking social status, managing conflict, and expressing emotional states. The study examines whether Adamawa Hausa idioms show regional variation from standard Kano-based Hausa idiom collections. Findings document over 180 idiomatic expressions in active use, with approximately 25 percent representing regional variants not found in standard reference works. Communicative functions related to interpersonal relationship management are the most densely idiom-encoded domain. The study contributes to the documentation of regional Hausa varieties and recommends that a comprehensive Hausa idiom dictionary encompassing regional variants be developed as a collaborative project among Nigerian universities offering Hausa linguistics programmes. Keywords: Hausa idioms, Communicative functions, Adamawa State, Regional variation, Sociolinguistics.