Abstract:
Language is a tool by which human beings express their thoughts. Thus, language plays a significant role in learning and social interaction. A condition whereby a group of people cannot express their thoughts in a usual way through language presents a research problem that deserves the attention of linguists. Language abnormality is an important area of linguistic research that examines deviations in language use as a result of factors such as physiological, neurological, and environmental. Among Hausa speakers, speech impairment often manifests in unique phonological patterns that can affect intelligibility and effective communication. This paper explores speech impairment and phonological processes within the Hausa linguistic community, focusing on how language abnormality influences sound production. Data were collected from Hausa-speaking individuals with speech impairment through oral interviews, spontaneous speech observation, and word-list elicitation. The speech data were audio-recorded and transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The analysis focuses on recurring phonological patterns rather than individual speaker errors. The research is based on Natural Phonology Theory (Stampe, 1973), supported by Distinctive Feature Theory (Jakobson & Halle, 1956). The study then delves into key phonological processes common among Hausa speakers experiencing language abnormality, including regressive assimilation, affrication, liquidization, gemination, and deletion. Each process is described with examples, showing how abnormality can alter the realization of sounds in Hausa. By linking linguistic theory to practical speech challenges, the paper demonstrates how impairments influence phonological structure and communication in Hausa-speaking contexts. This research recommends the need for early diagnosis and culturally sensitive intervention strategies, which are crucial for speech pathologists, language educators, and linguists. It also recommends the importance of studying language abnormality not only for clinical applications but also for deepening the understanding of Hausa phonology and its adaptability under abnormal speech conditions. By examining how speech impairment reshapes familiar phonological processes, this paper contributes to the broader study of language variation, speech therapy, and linguistic diversity.
Keywords: Speech Impairments, Phonology, Hausa speakers, Assimilation, Affrication, Gemination, Deletion
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/tjllc.2026.v05i02.007
author/Fauziyya Muhammad Hassan Ph.D
journal/Tasambo JLLC 5(2) | February 2026 |
