Bobo
Language · official in 1 country
Bomu, spelled Boomu and also known as Western Bobo Wule, is the language Mali's records call Bobo. It is a Gur language of Burkina Faso and Mali, spoken by two groups of the Bwa people, and one of the thirteen national languages Mali recognised in its language law of 1996.
The language on record
- ISO 639-3
- BMQ
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Gur
- Official in
- 1 country
Where Bobo is official
The list holds only Mali, although Bomu is spoken across the border in Burkina Faso too.
Official beside Bobo
About Bobo
Who speaks Bomu
Two groups of Bwa people speak it. The Red Bobo are also called Bobo Wule, or Bobo Oule. The White Bobo are the Bobo Gbe, known too as Kyan or Tyanse, a name written Kian, Tian, Tyan, Can or Chan in different sources. In Mali the language is found on the Bani River, which it shares with Burkina Faso.
Why Bomu stands apart in Mali
Most of Mali's languages belong to the Mande family, which is traditionally counted as a branch of Niger-Congo, although that view has been questioned. Bomu is not Mande. It is a Gur language, and in Mali the Gur group is represented by Bomu on the Bani River.
When the law named it
Law 96-049 of 1996 lists the national languages under their own names and gives this one as Bomu. The law replaced a decree of 19 July 1982.
Common questions
Questions about Bobo
Is Bobo the same language as Bomu?
Mali's records use Bobo; the law of 1996 and the linguistic literature use Bomu, or Western Bobo Wule. Both names refer to the language of the Red and White Bobo.
Where is Bomu spoken?
In Burkina Faso and Mali, on the Bani River.