Gourmanchéma

Print

A language of Burkina Faso

ISO 639-3
gux
Alternate Names
Goulmacema, Gourma, Gourmantche, Gulimancema, Gulmancema, Gurma, Migulimancema
Population

600,000 in Burkina Faso (1999 SIL). Population total all countries: 813,000.

Location

East, Gourma, Tapoa, Gnagna, Komondjari, Yagha, and Kompienga provinces. Also in Benin, Niger, Togo.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Gur, Central, Northern, Oti-Volta, Gurma
Dialects

Central Gourmanchema, Northern Gourmanchema, Southern Gourmanchema. Central and eastern dialects are inherently intelligible; northern only with difficulty.

Typology

SVO; postpositions; genitives, articles before noun heads; numerals after; CV; 3 tones

Language Use

All ages. Some also use French [fra], Zarma [dje], or Fulfulde [fuh].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 5%–10%. Central dialect is prestigious and used for writing. Newspapers. Radio programs. Films. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 2005.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Gourmanchéma
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Traditional religion, Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Expand All Collapse All