16th edition

US$ 100.00

Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Nigeria > Bokobaru

Bokobaru

A language of Nigeria

ISO 639-3: bus

Population	30,000 (1997 R. Jones). 6,000 in Kaiama, 24,000 in surrounding villages.
Region	Kwara state, primarily Kaiama LGA, some in Baruten LGA. 35 villages.
Language map	Nigeria, Map 1, reference number 37
Alternate names	Busa-Bokobaru, Bussawa
Dialects	Kaiama, village Bokobaru. Kaiama dialect speakers and those in other villages have good mutual inherent intelligibility. Bokobaru is distinct from Boko [bqc] of Benin. Different from Busa [bqp]. Lexical similarity 86% with Boko, 91% with Busa, 53% with Kyenga [tye], 50% with Bissa [bib] of Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Classification	Niger-Congo, Mande, Eastern, Eastern, Busa
Language use	Positive attitude. Some also use Hausa [hau], Yoruba [yor], English, Baatonum [bba], or Fulfulde [fuv].
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: 10%. Literacy materials available. Low motivation. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2004.
Comments	The Bokobaru call themselves by 2 names, often used interchangeably: ‘Bokobaru’, especially for the Kaiama town people, and ‘Zogben’ (meaning ‘peasant’) for village people. The Hausa call several groups of people (Boko, Bokobaru, Busa, Bariba) ‘Bussawa’, while the Yoruba call them all ‘Bariba’. The Hausa call the languages of all these groups ‘Bussanchi’. 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. Peasant agriculturalists. Muslim, traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

WEDEKIND, Klaus, author. 1972. An outline of the grammar of Busa (Nigeria).

WEDEKIND, Klaus, author. 1987. "Relevance in conversations in Busa (Nigeria): Barking up the wrong moon."

Vernacular Publications

Bara sira busu nobo sentento. 1971.

Bohkobaru yam, karatu da rubutun Busanci. 1970.