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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Burkina Faso > Lyélé

Lyélé

A language of Burkina Faso

ISO 639-3: lee

Population	130,000 (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).
Region	North and central Sanguié Province: Réo, Kyon, Tenado, Dassa, Didyr, Godyr, and Kordie Subdistricts, Réo principal center. Thousands of migrants in neighboring countries, especially Côte d’Ivoire.
Language map	Burkina Faso, reference number 30
Alternate names	Lele
Dialects	Southern Lyélé (Reo), Central Lyélé, Northern Lyélé, Kandéré. Most Central and Northern Lyélé speakers have nearly 100% comprehension of the Southern Lyélé, the one being developed. Kandéré have 75% comprehension of Southern Lyélé; Southern Lyélé understand all dialects except Kandéré well. Similar to Nuni [nuv], but low mutual inherent intelligibility.
Classification	Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Gur, Central, Southern, Grusi, Northern
Language use	About 50% age 15 or under. A few also use Jula [dyu], French, or Mòoré [mos].
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Growing number in Lyélé. Literacy rate in L2: 18% mainly in French, some in Mòoré. Government coordinated literacy program, 110 classes (1998). Satellite school project. NT: 2001.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	The ethnic group is called ‘Lyela’ or ‘Lela’. ‘Gurunsi’ is also used but applies more properly to the wider grouping. SVO; postpositions; genitives before noun heads; articles, adjectives, numerals, relatives after noun heads; question word initial; 1 prefix, 2 suffix; word order distinguishes subject and object; causatives; comparatives; CV, CVV; tonal. Peasant agriculturalists. Traditional religion, Christian, Muslim.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

SHOWALTER, Catherine J., author. 1986. "Pronouns in Lyélé."

Vernacular Publications

etɛr nǝ́mʼǎ kwɛrhɛ cɛ y nɛ?. 1997.

lò mɔ̀bɔ́ n nɔ́n kɔn cǝ́lne sãɔ sɔ́má. 1997.

lyæ̀læ lùl e púrí zɔ̀mà. 1980.

nǝ́ lũ wǝ́ - ò gǝ́ nyɛ nɛ́; ywe nyɛ̀bɛ́ nǝ̀ yàl nɛ́ shãã ga; cìn zɛlɛ́. 1995.