Bariba
Baatɔnum
Native to	Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso
Region	Borgu
Ethnicity	Bariba people
Native speakers	(1.1 million cited 1995–2021)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta-Congo Savannas Gur? Bariba
Writing system	Latin
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Benin
Language codes
ISO 639-3	bba
Glottolog	baat1238

Bariba, also known as Baatonum (also Baatombu, Baatonu, Barba, Baruba, Berba and a number of various other names and spellings), is the language of the Bariba people of Benin and Nigeria and was the language of the state of Borgu.

It is primarily spoken in Benin, but also across the border in adjacent Kwara State and Niger State, Nigeria, and some Bariba are in Togo and Burkina Faso. Welmers (1952) reported the Bariba language as spoken in the cities of Nikki, Parakou, Kandi, and Natitingou.^[2]

Names

The language can be known by different names:

• the Bariba people call their language Baatɔnum;
• the Yoruba people call the language Baruba;
• the Hausa people refer to the language as Borganci (also spelled Borganchi) after Borgu where it is spoken;
• the names in the Busa language and the Boko language are Borgu and Borgunya.

Other names include Barba or Berba.

One person who speaks Bariba is called Baatɔnu and two or more persons or speakers are called Baatɔmbu and the language of the Baatɔmbu/Borgawa people is called Baatɔnum.

Geographic distribution

In Nigeria, Bariba is spoken mainly in Borgu LGA of Niger State and in Baruten LGA of Kwara state. A number of Bariba have migrated to other parts of Nigeria, including Abuja. The Bariba people are referred to as Borgawa in Hausa.

In Benin, Bariba is spoken mainly in Alibori, Donga, Atakora and Borgou departments. A number of Bariba have migrated to other parts of Benin, including Cotonou.

In Togo, Bariba is spoken in the Savanes Region.

In Burkina Faso, Bariba is spoken in Kompienga Province.

Classification

Bariba is usually classed as an independent member of the Savanna languages, but some consider it and a number of other languages, such as Miyobe, as a Gur language. However, other than Bariba, there are other unclassified Gur languages, including Miyobe, Koromfe, Viemo, and Natyoro.

Phonology

Bariba is a tonal language.^[3] Tonal patterns in Bariba have been claimed to present a challenge to the Two-Feature Model of tonal phonology.^[4]

Nouns

Bariba has 7 noun classes:

• 1. y-class
• 2. t-class
• 3. g-class
• 4. w-class
• 5. m-class
• 6. s-class
• 7. n-class

The data was collected by William E. Welmers in August and September 1949 at Nikki, Benin.^[2]

Verbs

Adjectives

Invariable adjectives:^[2]

Adjectives with a class of their own, which remains the same after all nouns; singular and plural forms are like those of nouns:

t-class adjectives:

g-class adjectives:

Attributive adjectives with alternants for each noun class:

Numerals

References

External links

• Baatonum at WolframAlpha