Lexical Borrowing from Hausa into Yoruba Among Border Communities in Kwara and Kogi States

Language contact at geographical borders generates significant lexical exchange, as communities develop shared communicative needs that transcend ethnic and linguistic boundaries. This study examines lexical borrowing from Hausa into Yoruba among border communities in Kwara and Kogi States, North Central Nigeria. Using a field linguistics approach, data were collected from 80 native Yoruba speakers residing in Shonga, Patigi, and Kabba communities, all of which share significant historical and commercial ties with Hausa-speaking communities. Elicited word lists, conversational recordings, and vocabulary frequency tests were employed to document Hausa-origin lexemes in everyday Yoruba speech. The study applies contact linguistics theory, specifically van Coetsem's model of language dominance and transfer, to analyse the conditions and patterns of lexical borrowing. Existing studies on Yoruba-Hausa language contact have concentrated on southwestern urban settings, with limited fieldwork from border communities in North Central Nigeria. This study addresses that geographical gap. The research classifies borrowed lexemes by semantic domain, including trade, food, clothing, and governance, and examines the degree of phonological adaptation of Hausa loanwords into Yoruba phonology. Findings are expected to reveal that commercial and agricultural domains contain the highest density of Hausa loanwords, with phonological adaptation reflecting Yoruba syllable structure constraints. Recommendations will address the documentation and archiving of Yoruba-Hausa contact lexis in border communities. Keywords: lexical borrowing, Yoruba, Hausa, language contact, border communities.