Abstract
This paper examines the logical connection as a fundamental link schema in the Hausa cognitive and linguistic system. Grounded in the framework of Cognitive Semantics, particularly Image Schema Theory (1987) foundedand develop by Lakoff and Johnson, the study explores how Hausa speakers conceptualize logical andcausal relations such as cause–effect, condition–consequence, and means–end through culturally grounded linguistic expressions, idioms, and proverbs. Data for the study were drawn from both natural speech and documented sources, with analysis focusing on semantic motivation, conceptual mapping, and cognitive grounding. The findings reveal that logical connection schemas in Hausa are not merely linguistic structures but cognitive templates that reflect Hausa reasoning patterns and worldviews. Expressions such as duk wanda ya tona rami, shi zai faÉ—a cikinsa (“whoever digs a pit shall fall into it”) and in ka zuba ruwa, sai ka sha ruwan (“if you pour water, you will drink the water”) exemplify the embodied conceptualization of logical consequence. The paper concludes that Hausa logic is motivated, drawing heavily from physical, social, and moral realities. It further argues that studying link schemas provides insight into the interface between thought and expression in Hausa, thereby enriching the global understanding of cognitive semantics.
Keywords: Hausa, link schema, logical connection, cognitive semantics, image schema, conceptual metaphor
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i02.019
author/Almajir, T. S., & Rabi’u, B. M.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(2) | November 2025 |
