Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive sociolinguistic analysis of the language contact situation between Hausa and the Lamoro language in Lere Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria. It examines the factors driving the rapid and critical endangerment of Lamoro, a Plateau language no longer being acquired by children, who now grow up speaking Hausa as their first language. Grounded in theoretical frameworks including Fishman's Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (GIDS) and Ethno-linguistic Vitality Theory, this study investigates the complex interplay of community attitudes, domain-specific language use, and socioeconomic pressures that facilitate language shift. The research demonstrates a clear pragmatic-affective split in community attitudes, where Hausa is perceived as the language of economic opportunity and social mobility, while Lamoro is increasingly relegated to symbolic, ceremonial roles. Through analysis of recent linguistic fieldwork and existing literature, the paper reveals how the overwhelming functional dominance of Hausa across educational, administrative, and commercial domains has systematically marginalised Lamoro, leading to a breakdown in intergenerational transmission. The findings indicate that without immediate, targeted intervention, Lamoro faces imminent extinction, representing both a significant cultural loss and a compelling case study of language shift dynamics in Nigeria's linguistically diverse Middle Belt region.