Mossi language

The Mossi language (known in the language as Mooré; also Mòoré, Mõõré, Moré, Moshi, Moore, More) is a Gur language of the Oti–Volta branch and one of two official regional languages of Burkina Faso, closely related to the Frafra language spoken just across the border in the northern half of Ghana and less-closely to Dagbani and Mampruli farther south. It is the language of the Mossi people, spoken by approximately 5 million people in Burkina Faso, plus another 60,000+ in Mali and Togo.

Mossi
Mooré
Native toBurkina Faso, Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Togo
EthnicityMossi
Native speakers
7.83 million (2009–2013)[1]
Niger–Congo?
Latin (Mossi alphabet)
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-2mos
ISO 639-3mos
Glottologmoss1236
Majority areas of Mossi speakers, in pink, on a map of Burkina Faso
A Mooré text on a blackboard in the open at a meeting of farmers and extension workers, Ziga, Burkina Faso, 1981. The text reads:
"talaat Octobre kiug daar 6 soaba 1981 / moor tarongo roogo la wooto / ed fãa tom ne taaba d bayira manegre yinga / ned ka être n le n encore yẽ seka un meng ye ned fãarata / ato sôngre, ta vum yi a noogo / Ziiga"
(Tuesday, month of Octobre, 6th day, 1981 / This is a Mossi tarongo(?) house / We all work together for the repair of our home (village, homeland) / Nobody can say .. / With help it gets good. / Ziiga)[2]
PersonMoaaga
PeopleMoose
LanguageMòoré
The distribution of Mossi

Phonology

The Mossi language consists of the following sounds:[3]

Consonants
Mossi consonant phonemes
Labial Alveolar Postalveolar
/ palatal		 Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ
Stop voiceless p t k ʔ
voiced b d ɡ
Fricative voiceless f s h
voiced v z
Liquid r, l
Approximant j w

Remark:

  • The semivowel /j/ y is pronounced [ɲ] (palatal nasal) in front of nasal vowels.

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close close i u
near-close ɪ ʊ
Close-mid e o
Open a

Notes:

  • All vowels (other than /e/ and /o/) are pronounced like their nasal counterparts.
  • All vowels (oral and nasal) are pronounced like their lengthened counterparts.
  • Other linguists include the vowels /ɛ/ and /ɔ/; here, they are analysed as diphthongs, (/ɛ/ is considered to be ea and /ɔ/ is considered to be oa).

Orthography

In Burkina Faso, the Mossi alphabet uses the letters specified in the national Burkinabé alphabet.

Burkinabé Mossi alphabet
AʼBDE ƐFGHI ƖKLMN OPRST UƲVWY Z
aʼbde ɛfghi ɩklmn oprst uʋvwy z
Phonetic values
aʔbde ɛfɡhi ɪklmn oprst uʊvwj z

See also

References
  1. "Mòoré". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  2. Kind translation by Afrika-Studiecentrum Leiden/African Studies Centre Leiden, 2021.
  3. Cf. Kabore (1985) : (p.44) for the consonants, (p.85-86) for the vowels.

Learning materials


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