Boko, or Boo, is a Mande language of Benin and Nigeria.

Names

Boko language can be better known as Boko, but it is also known as Boo or with the Hausa name Busanci (also spelled Busanchi, Bussanci Or Bussanchi).

One person or speaker is called a Bokoni and more persons/speakers are called Bokona and the language of the Bokona/Bussawa people is called Bokonya.

The Boko people are one of two subgroups of the Bissa people, the other being the Busa people, who speak the Busa language. They are not a clan but a subgroup. They are neighbors to the Bariba people, who speak the Bariba language, a Gur language. The Bissa people proper speak the Bissa language, which is closely related to Boko.

Geographic distribution

Classification

Boko language is the most populous of the Mande languages of Benin. It is part of the Eastern Mande group, which also includes several other languages spoken across the Volta River and the Borgu Kingdom, including Busa, Bissa, Samo, and Bokobaru.

Boko speakers also speak Busa, Bariba, Dendi, Hausa, Yoruba, Fulfulde, French, and English.

Orthography

Boko language has 25 letters (Aa, Bb, Dd, Ee, Ɛɛ, Ff, Gg, Gb gb, Ii, Kk, Kp kp, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Ɔɔ, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Yy, Zz).

Nasalised vowels are marked with a Tilde.

High tones are marked with an acute accent and low tones are marked with a grave accent.

References