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

Mòoré

A language of Burkina Faso

ISO 639-3: mos

Population	5,000,000 in Burkina Faso. 15,700 Yana (1991). Population total all countries: 5,061,700.
Region	Central Ouagadougou area; widespread. Also in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Togo.
Language map	Burkina Faso, reference number 36
Alternate names	Mole, Moose, More, Moshi, Mossi
Dialects	Saremdé, Taolendé, Yaadré, Ouagadougou, Yaande, Zaore (Joore), Yana (Yanga, Jaan). Yana dialect has over 90% intelligibility with the Ouagadougou dialect 75%–80% with the Joore dialect. Joore with Ouagadougou varies from 88% in Tibga to 95% in Diabo. Yanga is in Togo, completely intelligible with Central Mòoré.
Classification	Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Gur, Central, Northern, Oti-Volta, Western, Northwest
Language use	National language. Dominant African language of Burkina Faso. All ages. Some also use Jula [dyu].
Language development	Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1983.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	‘Moose’ is the name of the people (pl.) or ‘Moaaga’ (sg.); ‘Mòoré’ of the language. Other spellings reflect obsolete spellings or pronunciations of nonspeakers. SOV; postpositions; genitives, articles, adjectives, numerals after noun heads; question word final; word order distinguishes subjects, objects; CV, CVC, CVV, CCV; tonal. Peasant agriculturalists. Traditional religion, Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Mali

Language name	Mòoré
Population	17,000 in Mali (1980).
Region	Dogon area, near Burkina Faso border; elsewhere.
Alternate names	Mole, More, Moshi, Mossi
Comments	Came into Mali from Burkina Faso during the colonial period. Traditional religion, Muslim.

Togo

Language name	Mòoré
Population	19,700 in Togo (1991). 7,155 in Moore, 7,908 in Yanga dialect (1981 census).
Region	Savana region, villages north of Dapaon Senkanssé, Timbou, Tabi.
Language map	Togo, reference number 29
Alternate names	Mole, Moose, More, Moshi, Mossi
Dialects	Yanga (Yana, Yan, Yam, Yaan, Jaan, Timbou).
Language use	Also use French.
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: Many in the younger generation can read French.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

BERTHELETTE, John, author. 2002. "Sociolinguistic survey report for the Yaana dialect of Mooré."  

BERTHELETTE, John, author. 2002. "Sociolinguistic survey report of the Jooré, or "Zaoré" language."  

BUTLER, Herbert W., author. 1997. Education of the Mossi.

CAHILL, Michael, author. 2004. "Tonal polarity in Kɔnni."

RING, J. Andrew, author. 1991. "Three case studies involving dialect standardization strategies in northern Ghana."

SPENCER, Juliann, author; PARKER, Steve, editor. 2010. "Mòoré tonal polarity."  

Vernacular Publications

Moos soalma (Contes Mossi). 1997.