Bwa languages

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The Bwa languages (Bwamu, Bomu) are a branch of the Gur languages spoken by over half a million Bwa people of Burkina Faso and Mali.

The Bwa people, and their languages, are one of several called Bobo in Bambara. The Bwa are distinguished as the Bobo Wule/Oule "Red Bobo". The Bwa languages are not mutually intelligible; Ethnologue calculates that the intelligibility of the Ouarkoye and Cwi is 30%, though other varieties are closer.

Languages

• Bwamu (Ouarkoye)
• Láá Láá Bwamu
• Cwi Bwamu (Bwamu Twi)
• Bomu

References

Further reading

• Malgoubri, Pierre (2020). "Etude introductive sur les dialectes du bwamu: Données dialectométriques, tests d'intercompréhension et dialecte de référence". In Wal, G. J. van der; Smits, H. J.; Petrollino, S.; Nyst, V. A. S.; Kossmann, M. G. (eds.). Essays on African languages and linguistics : in honour of Maarten Mous (in French). Leiden: African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL). pp. 19–42. hdl:1887/138531.

• John and Carol Berthelette, Sociolinguistic Survey report for the Bwamu language, SIL International, 2001, page 82.

• Gabriel Manessy, « Le bwamu et ses dialectes », in Bulletin de l'IFAN, série B: sciences humaines, 1961, number 23, pages|119-178.

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