Bissa language

Last updated
Bissa
Bisa, Busansi
Bɩsa
Region Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo
Ethnicity Bissa people
Native speakers
(590,000 cited 1999–2003) [1]
Niger–Congo?
  • Mande
    • Eastern
      • Bisa–Busa
        • Bissa
Language codes
ISO 639-3 bib
Glottolog biss1248
Languages of Burkina Faso.png
Majority areas of northern dialects of Bissa, in dark blue, on a map of Burkina Faso.
Bissa
PersonBɩsan
PeopleBɩsanno
LanguageBɩsa
Bissa
Total population
1.7 million
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso approx 6.8 million
Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana 1.1 million
Flag of Togo (3-2).svg Togo 3,356
Languages
Bissa, French
Religion
Islam African Traditional Religion
Related ethnic groups
other Mandé peoples

Bissa (or Bisa (singular), Bisan, Bissanno (plural)), is a Mande ethnic group of south-central Burkina Faso, northeastern Ghana and the northernmost tip of Togo. Their language, Bissa, [2] is a Mande language that is related to, but not the same as, a cluster of languages in the old Borgu Kingdom area of Northeast Benin and Northwest Nigeria, including Busa, Boko, and Kyenga. An alternate name for the Bissa is Busansi which is used by the Mossi people and Kusasi people or Busanga.

Contents

Names

The name is usually spelled Bissa. It can also be spelled Bisa, and the name in the Mossi language is Busansi (Singular) or Busanga (Plural); This should not be confused with the Bisa language of Zambia or the Busa language of Nigeria and Benin.

Geographic distribution

In Burkina Faso, Bissa is spoken in Boulgou, Koulpélogo, and Kouritenga Provinces of the Centre-Est Region, in Bazaga and Zoundwéogo Provinces of the Centre–Sud Region (Garango, Gomboussougou, Zabré, and Tenkodogo Cities), and in the Boudry Department of Ganzargou Province of the Plateau-Central Region.

In Ghana, Bissa is spoken in Bawku Municipal District, some other parts five districts in Bawku traditional area in the Upper East Region and also some parts in the North East Region.

In Togo, Bissa is spoken in Tône Prefecture of the Savanes Region. There are also some Bissa speakers in Ivory Coast.

Classification

Bissa language is the most populous of the Mande languages of Ghana and Togo. It is part of the Eastern Mande group, which also includes several other languages spoken across the Volta River and the Borgu Kingdom, including Boko, Busa, Samo, and Bokobaru.

Dialects

Bissa has four dialects:

  1. Barka or Baraka (also known as Eastern Bissa)
  2. Gormine or Gourmyne closely related to the Barka and mostly speaking in YARGATENGA or YARGATALA
  3. Lebre or Zeba (also known as Western Bissa)
  4. Leere (also known as Northern Bissa)

The most widely spoken dialects of Bissa are Barka and Lebre.

To the East the Bissa people speak Barka/Baraka. To The West people speak Lebre/Zeba. To the North the Lere dialect is used. To the South, there is no specifics dialect.

Phonology

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i , ĩ u
Near-close ɪ , ɪ̃ ʊ , ʊ̃
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ , ɛ̃ ɐ , ɐ̃ ɔ , ɔ̃
Open a , ã

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative voiceless f s
voiced v z
Approximant l j w
Trill r

[3]

Writing system

High tone is marked with an acute accent and low tone is marked with a grave accent. The following is the alphabet of the Lere and Lebir dialects of Bissa:

Bissa alphabet
A B C D E Ǝ Ɛ F G H I Ɩ J K L M N Ny Ŋ O Ɔ P R S T U Ʋ V W Y Z
abcdeǝɛfghiɩjklmnnyŋoɔprstuʋvwyz

The following is the alphabet of the Barka dialect of Bissa:

Bissa-Barka Alphabet (Burkina-Faso) [4]
A B D E Ɛ Ǝ F G H I Ɩ K L M N Ɲ Ŋ O Ɔ P R S T U Ʋ W Y Z
abdeɛəfghiɩklmnɲŋoɔprstuʋwyz

Comparison of dialects

PhraseLeereBarka/GourmyneLebre
Good morningDomireh kiIdomleki
comeburiahhEyaham
waterpihi
foodforbilehobile

Lebre or Lere phrases

The Busa and Boko peoples of Benin and Nigeria

The Busa and Boko peoples, two subgroups of the Bissa people, live in Northwestern Nigeria and Northern Benin near Borgu in the Nigerian States of Niger, Kebbi and Kwara (mostly Bokobaru subgroup) and in the Beninese Departments of Alibori and Borgou.

They speak Busa (also known as Bisã) and Boko (also known as Boo). This peoples are referred to as Bussawa in Hausa.

See also

References

  1. Bissa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Lewis, 2009
  3. Vanhoudt, Bettie (1999). Lexique Bisa-Français. Mandenkan.
  4. SIL 2016.

Sources