An Investigation into the Semantic Field of Colour Terms in the Hausa Language

The study of colour terminology in a language provides insights into cultural categorisation practices, the relationship between language and perception, and the degree of lexical elaboration in specific semantic fields. This study investigates the semantic field of colour terms in the Hausa language, documenting the full range of colour vocabulary, examining basic versus derived colour terms, and exploring cultural associations linked to specific colour designations. A descriptive linguistic design was employed, combining structured elicitation using the Munsell colour chart with 120 Hausa-speaking respondents in Kano to test colour term consensus, together with analysis of colour vocabulary in published Hausa literary and folk texts. Native speaker judgement tasks assessed the boundaries and prototypical instances of colour categories. Secondary literature on colour term universals and colour terminology in African languages informed the analytical framework. Findings reveal that Hausa has a well-developed system of basic colour terms but that several colour distinctions commonly lexicalised in European languages are expressed through modification of basic terms or through borrowing, particularly for technical colour applications in modern contexts such as fashion and marketing. Some colour terms carry significant cultural or symbolic loading, including associations with mourning, social status, or religious identity. The study contributes to comparative colour term research in African languages and recommends further experimental work on the perceptual boundaries of Hausa colour categories among speakers of different regional varieties. Keywords: Colour terms, Hausa, Semantic field, Lexicology, Cultural associations.