METAPHORICAL MAPPINGS OF “PARENTS” AS KINSHIP CATEGORIES IN HAUSA LANGUAGE

Abstract

This study investigates the metaphorical mappings of parental kinship categories: father, mother, and grandparents in the Hausa language, using the Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) as framework. The study collected data from 200 Hausa Native Speakers using Semantic Elicitation Task from naturally-occuring situations. The research reveals that these kinship terms extend far beyond their literal family references. The ‘father’ Uba is metaphorically conceptualized as a ‘shelter’, ‘wall’, and ‘pillar’, showing roles of strength, protection, and stability. The ‘mother’ Uwa is framed as ‘shade’, ‘coolness’, and ‘emotional centrality’, embodying care, nurturance, and moral significance. ‘Grandparents’ Kakafor both male and female are depicted as ‘friends’, ‘indulgent figures’, and ‘repositories of history’, signifying their roles in intergenerational bonding and cultural continuity. These metaphorical mappingsshow the cognitive and cultural dimensions of Hausa kinship expressions which illustrate how language encodes complex social values, emotional relationships, and communal identities. The study affirms that Hausa kinship metaphors are not arbitrary but culturally grounded cognitive tools that shape social interaction and cultural worldview. It contributes to African linguistics and cognitive semantics by offering deeper insights into the interplay between metaphor, language, and culture in an indigenous African context.