Heat that Hits Us: The Conceptualization of pain in Hausa

The main aim of this chapter is to show that the concept of pain in Hausa (Chadic, Afroasiatic) is based on the action schema referring to hit-like actissons. This schema can be found in many expressions relating to pain, in semantic extensions of words denoting pain, as well as in co-speech gestures concurrent with utterances concerning pain. Although the most commonly used words for pain in Hausa: zafi ‘heat, intensity, pain, anger’ and ciwo ‘pain, illness’ are not etymologically connected with hitting or blowing, they are conceptually associated with the action of striking a blow. The first argument comes from contextual uses of words relating to pain, the second from the “snapping” gesture, which is used concurrently with expressions relating not only to delivering a blow but also to pain.