Bobo Madaré, Southern

BWQ

developing

Alternate Names: Black Bobo, Bobo, Bobo Fi, Bobo Fing

Dialects: Benge, Sogokiré, Syabéré (Sya), Voré, Zara (Bobo Dioula, Bobo Jula).

Genealogy:

Niger-Congo
Mande
Western
Northwestern
Soninke-Bobo
Bobo

Demographics: 160,000 (1999 SIL).

Language Use: All ages. French [fra] is used by the educated. Also use Jula [dyu].

Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 10% Jula. Syabéré in Bobo Dioulasso region is the prestige dialect, and is used for literature. Bible: 2004.

Typology: Tonal.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Burkina Faso

Other Comments: The government calls them Bobo Madaré. ‘Bobo’ is the general Bambara word for Bobo Fing, Buamu, or Bomu. Traditional religion, Christian (Protestant), Muslim.