Loss in translation: Hausa as a channel of marketing communication

I used to say that I was breastfed Hausa as a baby. That was why, I reasoned, if any word, phrase, clause, or sentence in the language was wrongly constructed, alarm bells would go off in my ears. Those alarms started ringing some time ago when I saw the message on a billboard advertising a […]

I used to say that I was breastfed Hausa as a baby.

That was why, I reasoned, if any word, phrase, clause, or sentence in the language was wrongly constructed, alarm bells would go off in my ears.

Those alarms started ringing some time ago when I saw the message on a billboard advertising a product: ci abinci mai armashi, the advert said.

I tried to quell the alarm bells by telling myself that it was a dialect of Hausa that I was not familiar with.

Or it was an unusual collocation — a linguistic tool that attracts the reader’s or listener’s attention by breaking away from conventional patterns.

But I heard other Hausa (most of them native) speakers raising eyebrows over the collocation of abinci (food) and armashi (lively).

This prompted me to conduct a minor survey, where I asked several Hausa users ranging from academicians (those who taught Hausa – the language, the culture, etc – in higher institutions) to Hausa writers of different genres, from native Hausa speakers to journalists (some of whom were not necessarily native Hausa speakers but use the language in their work).

Virtually every one of them said abinci and armashi could not collocate.

I felt that here the target might have been missed, even if the purpose was to attract the reader’s attention (of course attention was attracted, but was it focused in the right direction?).

But to gauge the success of the message, I went back to the people I initially heard contemplating the propriety of collocating the two words, and asked them the subject of the advertisement – i.e. the product being advertised.

Most of them did not remember!

Let me quickly say, however, that what I did was not an empirical research or survey into the effectiveness of the use of certain linguistic tools or even language styles in successfully delivering marketing messages.

The exercise was prompted by some personal concerns I have been having as a native Hausa speaker about the use of wrongly translated or wrongly collocated words, gestures and nuances in advertising in the language – linguistically and culturally.

Many examples of these abound but below are a couple of other instances of mistranslation.

First, when the word ‘need’ was translated as ‘nema’. That was where “All you need is one touch”, was translated as “tabawa daya kawai kake nema”.

This was a mistranslation because  ‘need’ in this sense is bukata, not nema.

Secondly, as part of the process of growing up, children lose their deciduous or primary teeth, also known informally as milk teeth, and the gap created when this happens is referred to in Hausa as gibi.

On the other hand, diastema, also referred to as gap teeth – most commonly a space between the upper front teeth – is called wushirya.

And so when you hear wushirya being used in place of gibi, one naturally asks oneself what is happening.  

These mistranslations or wrong use of Hausa words occur perhaps because English commercials are being translated directly, often by translators who are not well-groomed in one of the languages.

Or, probably, because the content of the advertisement is written by someone who is not well-grounded in Hausa language and/or culture.

And this should not be so because Section 2, Sub-Section (1)(b) of Part I of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act 2022 speaks about “all advertisement exposed and directed at the Nigerian market” being “legal, decent, honest, truthful, respectful, and mindful of the Nigerian culture…” (emphasis added).

To my understanding, respect for the Nigerian culture includes respect for its languages and ensuring the correct translation, interpretation, and use of their words.

Also, Sub-Section (1)(g) warns against “misleading, harmful or offensive advertisement from being exposed to or directed at the Nigerian market”.

The examples cited earlier may not be construed to have been misleading, harmful, or offensive in the strict sense of the words, but advertisers will be guided to ensure that experts are engaged in producing marketing communication campaigns.

A very important requirement in translation is that the translator should have a good command of the language he is translating from as well that he is translating into.

Being correct – i.e. “adhering to the rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling” is one of the things required of a translator, according to the American Translators Association (ATA)’s Translation Standards and Guidelines.

Another is cultural sensitivity, which requires “taking into account the cultural nuances of the target audience”.

Therefore, when there is a need to translate an advertisement into Hausa, or any language for that matter, professional translators should be engaged.

To me, however, it will be much more effective and impactful if the piece is not translated but adapted.

With the latter, (a) person(s) well-grounded in the Hausa language and culture can render the message in a way that can be more accommodating of the grammar, syntax, and culture of the target audience.

And, in the final analysis, we will end up ’yan kallo lafiya, mai wasa lafiya – meaning there will be a win-win situation and everything will end well.

 

Muhammad (arpa) is the Acting Chief Operating Officer, Trust Radio, Abuja