Dr. Hasiyatu Abubakari

Hasiyatu Abubakari is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana and an honorary  Research Associate at the School of Languages and Literatures, Rhodes University, South Africa. She is the Head of the Language, Literature and Drama Unit. She holds a PhD (Suma Cum Laude) in African Studies (Languages and Literatures) from the University of Vienna, Austria and an MPhil in Theoretical Linguistics from the University of Tromsø in Norway (2011). Her Undergraduate certificate is in English Language and Linguistics (First Class) from the University of Ghana Legon (2007). Her past and ongoing projects have focused on the grammars of Mabia languages and cultures; language and gender; language and environment, onomastics, folklore, popular culture, among others.   Through the use of songs, docudramas, folktales, proverbs and other intangible cultural artifacts, she explores indigenous cultural knowledge of minority ethnic groups and how these can be leveraged upon to achieve specifically SDGs 13, which seeks to combat climate change and its impact; SGD 14 for the conservation of oceans, seas and marine resources, SDG 4 which targets inclusive and equitable quality education for all; and SDG 5 on gender equality and girl child empowerment.  She has published widely in both local and international journals. She serves on the editorial board of several journals. Hasiyatu is a recipient of several local and international awards. She is a fellow of the American Council of Learned Society (AHP: 2019-2020). She is a Carnegie Cooperation of New York fellow 2023, and a Queen Elizabeth Scholar 2023.

Research Interests

• Less studied Mabia (Gur) languages and cultures
• Syntax
• Information Structure
• Pragmatics
• Anthropological Linguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Language and Gender
• Language and Media
• Onomastics
• Folktales

• UGRC 235, Proficiency course in Dagbani

• AFST 640     Seminar 1/ Academic Writing
• AFST 646    Africa and Language Endangerment
• AFST 649    African Languages in Development Practice

Supervision

Two graduate supervisions (ongoing)

one graduate supervision  (completed 2023)

Nguessan, M., Abubakari, H., Akinpelu, M. (2024). Names of God and divinities in African languages and the myth of polytheism. A paper presented at the 2024 Virtual Annual Conference of the American Name Society (ANS) held online: February 17, 2024.

Abubakari, H. (2023). Using popular culture to reinforce indigenous knowledge systems on environmental protection in West Africa. A paper presented at the African Studies Association (ASA) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, USA, November 30-December 2, 2023.

Abubakari, H. (2023). If a woman is BEAUTIFUL, she is a witch or harlot: Gender ideologies and inequalities in Kusaal folktales. A paper presented at the Inaugural Conference of the African Humanities Association (AHA), University of Cape Town, November 26-29, 2023.

Abubakari, H. and Agbetsoamedo, Y. (2023). Definiteness Across three Domains in Kwa and Mabia Languages. A paper presented at the Inaugural Conference of the African Humanities Association (AHA), University of Cape Town, November 26-29, 2023.

Abubakari, H. (2023). Trees and valleys are gods: Folktales as intangible literary anthropological artefacts for environmental protection in Ghana. A paper presented at the 29th Fédération Internationale des Langues et Littératures Modernes Congress (FILLM) and the 33rd West African Linguistics Congress (WALC), University of Ghana, October 23-26, 2023.

Abubakari, H. and Bodomo, A. (2023). An interface between interrogative constructions and discourse packaging in Kusaal. A paper presented at the 29th Fédération Internationale des Langues et Littératures Modernes Congress (FILLM) and the 33rd West African Linguistics Congress (WALC), University of Ghana, October 23-26, 2023.

Abubakari, H., and Appah, C.A.I. (2023). Distinguishing between compounds and phrases in Kusaal. A paper presented at the 15th Annual Linguistics Association of Ghana Conference, Takoradi Technical University, August 30 to September 1, 2023.

Abubakari, H. (2023). Our folktales, our intangible cultural artefacts. A paper presented at the 2nd School of Arts Colloquium. IAS, University of Ghana, 10-12 August, 2023.

Abubakari, H. (2023). Goodwill token or bribe? Synchronically used proverbs and expressions for bribery in Kusaal. African Humanities Association's Manuscript Development Workshop. Aqua Safari, Ada: 7-11 May 2023.

Abubakari, H. (2023). Promoting women’s participation in social transformation through popular culture in Kusaal speaking communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Panel discussant on Conflict transformation. CUSP Network Plus workshop. Tomreik Hotel, Accra: 2nd May 2023.

Abubakari, H., Issah, A.S. (2023). Metaphor of personal names in the Mabia languages of Ghana. A paper presented at the 2023 Virtual Annual Conference of the American Name Society (ANS) held online: January 20-22 2023.

Abubakari, H., Asitanga, S. A. and Sando L. (2023). Names of seasons as expressions of climatic conditions and agrarian practices in Kusaug Ghana. A paper presented at the 2023 Virtual Annual Conference of the American Name Society (ANS) held online: January 20-22 2023.

Abubakari, H. (2023). When trees and valleys are gods, how do you destroy the environment: Using folktales for environmental protection in Ghana. A project undertaken for the BaNGA-Africa writeshop held at the Hill Top View Hotel, Abokobi, Accra: January 17-21, 2023.          

Issah, A. Samuel., Abubakari, Hasiyatu. (2022). Resumption as a repair mechanism in      illicit    movement: The case of Dagbani and Kusaal. A paper presented at the Long  distance dependencies and the structure of embedded clauses in African languages (Syntax and Semantics of African Languages- SASAL 1-workshop at DGfS) organized  as part of the Annual Meeting of the German Linguistics Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für   Sprachwissenschaft, in short DGfS). Universität Tübingen, Germany, 23-25 February.

Abubakari, Hasiyatu. (2022). Personal Names among the Kusaas of Ghana. A paper presented at the 4th Biennial Conference of the African Studies Association of Africa  (ASAA). University of  Cape Town, 12-16th April, 2022.

Issah, A.S., Abubakari, H., Atintono, S. A. & Aweaka, S. (2022). Euphemisms as cultural negotiations in dailly interactions in the Mabia Languages of Ghana. A paper presented at    the 53rd Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL 53) at the Department of  Linguistics at the University of California San Diego online on April 7-9, 2022.

Adjei, A. Edwin., and Abubakari, Hasiyatu. (2022). They can say it but they cannot do it. A  paper   presented at the 4th Biennial Conference of the African Studies Association of Africa  (ASAA). University of   Cape Town, 12-16th April, 2022.

Abubakari, H., Issah, A.S., Acheampong, O., S., & Luri, D. M. & Naporo, J. (2022). Socio-cultural significance and typology of personal names in the Mabia Languages of Ghana. A  paper presented at the Institute of African Studies (IAS), Seminar Series, University of Ghana, Legon on May 26 2022.

  Abubakari, H. (2022). The Determiner 'la' in selected domains in Kusaal and sister Mabia  languages. A paper presented at 1st workshop of the DFG Scientific Network Project     Definiteness Across Domains. Humboldt University, Berlin, 29th June -1st July, 2022.

Abubakari, H. (2022). Forms and Functions of Relative Clauses in Kusaal. A paper presented  in a round table  discussion of the DFG Scientific Network Project Definiteness Across    Domains. Humboldt University, Berlin, 29th June -1st July, 2022.

Abubakari, Hasiyatu. (2021). Synchronically invented language of (anti)corruption in Kusaal. Workshop on Language and Literature of Corruption in West Africa. University of Education, Ajumako Campus, 30th September 2021.

Akrofi Ansah Mercy, Abubakari Hasiyatu, Adjei Edwin, Agyepong Dorothy. (2021). African Languages, Cultural identities and the Next Generation. Presented at the 3rd Kwame Nkrumah Intellectual Cultural Festival, 20th -24th September, 2021, University of Ghana

Issah, Alhassan Samuel, Abubakari, Hasiyatu, Owoahene Samuel Acheampong, & Luri, Dramani Moses (2021). The form, distribution and interpretation of reflexivity in the Mabia languages   of Ghana. Presented at the 55th Linguistics Colloquium Inter- and intralinguistic Contrasts, 8^th-  11^th September 2021, University of Rzeszów, Poland.

Hasiyatu, Abubakari, Atintono, Samuel & Issah, Alhassan Samuel. (2021). Negation and the perfective –ya in the verbal paradigm of three Mabia languages: Dagbani, Gurenɛ and Kusaal.  Presented at the 13^th Annual Conference of the Linguistics Association of Ghana (LAG), July 27-30, 2021, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Hasiyatu, Abubakari. (2021). A Serializing Discourse Particle in Kusaal. Presented at the 10th World Congress of African Linguistics (WOCAL 10), 7^th-12^th June 2021, Leiden University.

Issah, Alhassan Samuel & Abubakari, Hasiyatu. (2021). Semantics of Nominal Classification in Mabia Languages. Presented at the 10th World Congress of African Linguistics (WOCAL 10), 7^th-12^th June 2021, Leiden University.

Hasiyatu Abubakari & Samuel Alhassan Issah. (2021). Particles and ex-situ focus in Mabia languages: A grouping based on inventory. Presented at the 51st and 52nd Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL 51 & 52), April 2021, University of Florida, USA.

Hasiyatu Abubakari. (2021). Verbal Alternations in Kusaal and related languages. Presented at the 51st and 52nd Annual Conference on African Linguistics (ACAL 51 & 52), April 2021, University of Florida, USA.

Hasiyatu Abubakari, Ida Sodoke Assem & Adwoa Sikayena Amankwah. (2021). Framing of Covid-19 Safety Protocols in Kusaal Musical Health Communication: Language and Literary Analysis. Presented at the 4th School of Languages Conference (SOLCON IV), November 3rd-5th, University of Ghana, Legon.

Samuel Alhassan Issah & Hasiyatu Abubakari. (2020). Long Distance Dependencies in Dagbani and Kusaal. Presented at the 50th Colloquium on African Languages and Linguistics: 31st August - 2nd September, Leiden University, Netherlands.

Hasiyatu Abubakari. (2020). Noun Class System of Kusaal: A Case of Semantic Network of Association. Presented at the 50th Colloquium on African Languages and Linguistics: 31st August - 2nd September, Leiden University, Netherlands.

Hasiyatu Abubakari. (2019). Presentation: Disambiguating the Information Structure (I-S) of the Lexical-Functional grammar Framework. Presented at the Departmental Seminar of the Department of Linguistics, University of Ghana: 18^th September. University of Ghana, Legon.

Hasiyatu Abubakari. (2019). Information Structure in Selected Northern Languages of Ghana. Presented at the Faculty Research Seminar of the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies: 10^th April, University of Professional Studies, Accra.

Hasiyatu Abubakari & Izabela Jordanoska (2018). Coordination and interrogativity in West African languages.    Presented at the 9th World Congress on African Linguistics (WOCAL9), August 23-26, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco.

Hasiyatu Abubakari (2018). Focus marking strategies in Kusaal. Presented at the workshop on Information Structure: Form and Function during the 23^rd International Lexical-Functional Grammar Conference: 20^th July, University of Vienna, Austria.

Hasiyatu Abubakari. (2018). Information Structure and the Lexical-Functional Grammar Framework. Presented at the 23^rd International Lexical-Functional Grammar Conference: 17^th-19^th July, University of Vienna, Austria.

Hasiyatu Abubakari. (2018). Phasal Polarity Expressions in Kusaal. Presented at the conference on the expression of Phasal Polarity in sub-Saharan African languages: 2nd-4th February, University of Hamburg, Germany.