Bokobaru

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A language of Nigeria

ISO 639-3
bus
Alternate Names
Busa-Bokobaru, Bussawa
Population

30,000 (1997 R. Jones). 6,000 in Kaiama, 24,000 in surrounding villages.

Location

Kwara State, primarily Kaiama LGA, some in Baruten LGA. 35 villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Mande, Eastern, Eastern, Busa
Dialects

Kaiama, village Bokobaru. Kaiama dialect speakers and those in other villages have good mutual inherent intelligibility. Distinct from Boko [bqc] of Benin or Busa [bqp]. Lexical similarity: 86% with Boko [bqc], 91% with Busa [bqp], 53% with Kyanga [tye], 50% with Bisa [bib] of Burkina Faso and Ghana.

Typology

SOV; genitives before noun heads; articles, adjective, numerals, relatives after noun heads; question word initial or final; 4 suffixes; word order distinguishes subject, object, indirect object; postpositions; person, number, aspect included in subject pronouns; tone changes some verb aspect; passives; CV, CVV, CCV; tonal

Language Use

Positive attitudes. Some also use Hausa [hau], Yoruba [yor], English [eng], Baatonum [bba], or Fulfulde [fuv].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 10%. Literacy materials available. Low motivation. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2004.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bokobaru
Writing
Latin script, used since 2007.
Other Comments

Ethnic autonyms, often used interchangeably: Bokobaru, especially for Kaiama town people, and Zogben, peasant, for village people. The Hausa call several groups of people (Boko, Bokobaru, Busa, Bariba) Bussawa, while the Yoruba call them all Bariba. Glossonym: Bussanchi by the Hausa. Muslim, traditional religion, Christian.