Kasem

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A language of Burkina Faso

ISO 639-3
xsm
Alternate Names
Kasena, Kasim, Kassem, Kassena
Population

83,600 in Burkina Faso (2009 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 232,600.

Location

Centre-Sud region, Nahouri province, Po, Guiaro, and Tiébélé towns; Centre-Ouest region, Sissili province.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Dispersed).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Gur, Central, Southern, Grusi, Northern
Dialects

East Kasem, West Kasem. West and East Kasem mutually inherently intelligible. Reportedly similar to Nuni [nuv] and Lyélé [lee].

Typology

SVO; postpositions; genitives, articles, adjectives, numerals after noun heads; relatives after or without noun heads; no more than one affix per word; word order distinguishes subjects, objects, indirect objects, topic and comment; causatives; comparatives; CV, CVC, CVV; tonal.

Language Use

All ages. Also use French [fra], Mòoré [mos].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 15%. Literacy rate in L2: 15% in French [fra], 15% in Mòoré [mos]. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1988–1997.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kasem
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

East Kasem is more prestigious. Loanwords from French [fra] and Mòoré [mos] in Burkina Faso, English [eng] and Akan [aka] in Ghana. Traditional religion, Christian.

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