Bozo languages
Encyclopedia
Bozo is spoken by the Bozo
, the principal fishing people of the Inner Niger Delta in Mali
. According to the 2000 census, the Bozo people number about 132,100. The Bozo dialect cluster is often considered to be one language, but there is quite a bit of diversity. Ethnologue recognizes four languages on the basis of requirements for literacy materials. Bozo is part of the northwestern branch of the Mande languages
; the closest linguistic relative is Soninke
, a major language spoken in the northwestern section of southern Mali, in eastern Senegal, and in southern Mauritania. The Bozo often speak one or more regional languages such as Bamana
, Maasina Fulfulde, or Western Songhay
. The language is tonal, with three lexical tones.
The Bozo cluster breaks down into the following varieties:
Hainyaho, spoken by the Hain (sg. Xan), is the most western dialect, spoken in two spots along the Niger. It is most closely related to Tigemaxo, its eastern neighbour which is spoken around Diafarabe
. The central and most widely spoken Bozo language is Sorogama, which actually consists of four dialects, Pondori (south of Mopti
), Kotya, Korondugu (north of Mopti
) and Debo (around Lake Debo
). Tièma Cièwè is the northeastern most of the Bozo cluster, spoken in the vicinity of Lake Debo.
Bozo people
The Bozo are a West African ethnic group located predominantly along the Niger River in Mali. The name Bozo is thought to derive from Bambara bo-so, 'Bamboo house'; the people accept it as referring to the whole of the ethnic group but use more specific clan names such as Sorogoye, Hain, and Tieye...
, the principal fishing people of the Inner Niger Delta in Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
. According to the 2000 census, the Bozo people number about 132,100. The Bozo dialect cluster is often considered to be one language, but there is quite a bit of diversity. Ethnologue recognizes four languages on the basis of requirements for literacy materials. Bozo is part of the northwestern branch of the Mande languages
Mande languages
The Mande languages are spoken in several countries in West Africa by the Mandé people and include Mandinka, Soninke, Bambara, Bissa, Dioula, Kagoro, Bozo, Mende, Susu, Yacouba, Vai, and Ligbi...
; the closest linguistic relative is Soninke
Soninke language
The Soninke language is a Mande language spoken by the Soninke people of West Africa. The language has an estimated 1,096,795 speakers, primarily located in Mali, and also in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Ghana...
, a major language spoken in the northwestern section of southern Mali, in eastern Senegal, and in southern Mauritania. The Bozo often speak one or more regional languages such as Bamana
Bambara language
Bambara, more correctly known as Bamanankan , its designation in the language itself , is a language spoken in Mali by as many as six million people...
, Maasina Fulfulde, or Western Songhay
Songhay languages
The Songhay, Songhai, or Songai languages are a group of closely related languages/dialects centered on the middle stretches of the Niger River in the west African states of Mali, Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. They have been widely used as a lingua franca in that region ever since the...
. The language is tonal, with three lexical tones.
The Bozo cluster breaks down into the following varieties:
- Hainyaxo (Hainyaho, Kɛlɛngaxo) (a few thousand speakers)
- Tiɛma Cɛwɛ (Tièma cièwe) (2,500 speakers in 1991)
- Tiéyaxo (Tigemaxo) (a few thousand speakers)
- Sorogaama (Jenaama, Sorko) (200,000 speakers in 2005)
Hainyaho, spoken by the Hain (sg. Xan), is the most western dialect, spoken in two spots along the Niger. It is most closely related to Tigemaxo, its eastern neighbour which is spoken around Diafarabe
Diafarabe
Diafarabe is a village and commune of the Cercle of Tenenkou in the Mopti Region of Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 13,461.-References:...
. The central and most widely spoken Bozo language is Sorogama, which actually consists of four dialects, Pondori (south of Mopti
Mopti
Mopti is a city at the confluence of the Niger and the Bani in Mali, between Timbuktu and Ségou. The city lies on three islands linked by dykes: the New Town, the Old Town and Medina Coura. As a result it is sometimes known as the "Venice of Mali".-History:The city of Mopti derives its name from...
), Kotya, Korondugu (north of Mopti
Mopti
Mopti is a city at the confluence of the Niger and the Bani in Mali, between Timbuktu and Ségou. The city lies on three islands linked by dykes: the New Town, the Old Town and Medina Coura. As a result it is sometimes known as the "Venice of Mali".-History:The city of Mopti derives its name from...
) and Debo (around Lake Debo
Lake Débo
Lake Débo is a lake in central part of Mali, formed by the seasonal flooding of the Niger River basin.-Extent:Lake Débo, at its greatest extent, lies around 80 km from Mopti on its upstream end and 240 km from Timbuktu at its downstream end. It is the largest of many such seasonal wetlands and...
). Tièma Cièwè is the northeastern most of the Bozo cluster, spoken in the vicinity of Lake Debo.
External links
- Ethnologue report on the Bozo languages
- Ethnolinguistic map of the Bozo languages (SILSIL InternationalSIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
) - La langue Bozo