Bade People in Diaspora: Investigation into Language and Culture

Abstract

This study as its title implies is an investigation into language maintenance and shift pattern of the Bade people in diaspora, specifically in Katsina city and Shinkafi town of Katsina and Zamfara states respectively. The research examines shift in the context of language use in the family domain and discusses the connection between developments of cross-cultural attitudes (attitudes to the host communities), identity development and language maintenance and shift. The result shows that Bade people in diaspora especially those in Katsina city (numbering about 5000) have totally shifted to Hausa which happens to be the language of the host communities. In Shinkafi however, the shift is not absolute as there are a few of the elderly that still speak the language whenever they have a visitor from home or when they come home for a visit. Culturally, the Bade people in the study areas have integrated themselves with the host communities and through intermarriages some of the Bade people in both Katsina and Zamfara have been given traditional titles, in recognition to their contributions to the development of the host communities.