Bissa language

Bissa (or Bisa (singular), Bisan, Bissanno (plural)), is a Mande ethnic group of south-central Burkina Faso, northeastern Ghana and the northernmost tip of Togo. Their language, Bissa,^[2] is a Mande language that is related to, but not the same as, a cluster of languages in the old Borgu Kingdom area of Northeast Benin and Northwest Nigeria, including Busa, Boko, and Kyenga. An alternate name for the Bissa is Busansi which is used by the Mossi people and Kusasi people or Busanga.

Bissa
Bisa, Busansi
Bɩsa
Region	Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo
Ethnicity	Bissa people
Native speakers	(590,000 cited 1999–2003)^[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Mande Eastern Bisa–Busa Bissa
Language codes
ISO 639-3	bib
Glottolog	biss1248
Majority areas of northern dialects of Bissa, in dark blue, on a map of Burkina Faso.

Bissa
Person	Bɩsan
People	Bɩsanno
Language	Bɩsa

Bissa

Total population
1.7 million
Regions with significant populations
Burkina Faso	approx 6.8 million
Ghana	1.1 million
Togo	3,356
Languages
Bissa, French
Religion
Islam African Traditional Religion
Related ethnic groups
other Mandé peoples

The word Bissa in the language itself is river. The Bissa people refer to themselves as Bissano, which means People by the river. This can be seen in their settlement structures since they mostly live by the river side and engage in a lot of farming activities.

Bissa is a language similar to Moré, otherwise known as Mossi. That is because Mossi people share common ancestry with the Bissa people. A common folktale explaining the existence of the Mossi is that a Bissa hunter and a Ghanaian princess married. They are believed to be the ancestors of the Mossi.

Some Bissa live in Ivory Coast.

Names

The name is usually spelled Bissa. It can also be spelled Bisa, and the name in the Mossi language is Busansi (Singular) or Busanga (Plural); This should not be confused with the Bisa language of Zambia or the Busa language of Nigeria and Benin.

Geographic distribution

In Burkina Faso, Bissa is spoken in Boulgou, Koulpélogo, and Kouritenga Provinces of the Centre-Est Region, in Bazaga and Zoundwéogo Provinces of the Centre–Sud Region (Garango, Gomboussougou, Zabré, and Tenkodogo Cities), and in the Boudry Department of Ganzargou Province of the Plateau-Central Region.

In Ghana, Bissa is spoken in Bawku Municipal District of the Upper East Region.

In Togo, Bissa is spoken in Tône Prefecture of the Savanes Region. There are also some Bissa speakers in Ivory Coast.

Classification

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

Dialects

Bissa has three dialect:

1. Barka or Baraka (also known as Eastern Bissa)
2. Lebir or Zeba (also known as Western Bissa)
3. Lere (also known as Northern Bissa)

The most widely spoken dialects of Bissa are Barka and Lebir.

To the East the Bissa people speak Barka/Baraka. To The West people speak Lebir/Zeba. To the North the Lere dialect is used. To the South, there is no specifics dialect.

Phonology

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i, ĩ		u
Near-close	ɪ, ɪ̃		ʊ, ʊ̃
Close-mid	e		o
Open-mid	ɛ, ɛ̃	ɐ, ɐ̃	ɔ, ɔ̃
Open		a, ã

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Nasal		m	n	ɲ	ŋ
Plosive	voiceless	p	t		k
	voiced	b	d		ɡ
Fricative	voiceless	f	s
	voiced	v	z
Approximant			l	j	w
Trill			r

^[3]

Writing System

High tone is marked with an Acute accent and low tone is marked with a Grave accent. The following is the alphabet of the Lere and Lebir dialects of Bissa:

Bissa alphabet

A

B

C

D

E

Ǝ

Ɛ

F

G

H

I

Ɩ

J

K

L

M

N

Ny

Ŋ

O

Ɔ

P

R

S

T

U

Ʋ

V

W

Y

Z

a

b

c

d

e

ǝ

ɛ

f

g

h

i

ɩ

j

k

l

m

n

ny

ŋ

o

ɔ

p

r

s

t

u

ʋ

v

w

y

z

The following is the alphabet of the Barka dialect of Bissa:

Bissa-Barka Alphabet (Burkina-Faso)^[4]

A

B

D

E

Ɛ

Ǝ

F

G

H

I

Ɩ

K

L

M

N

Ɲ

Ŋ

O

Ɔ

P

R

S

T

U

Ʋ

W

Y

Z

a

b

d

e

ɛ

ə

f

g

h

i

ɩ

k

l

m

n

ɲ

ŋ

o

ɔ

p

r

s

t

u

ʋ

w

y

z

Comparison of dialects

Phrase	Lere	Barka	Lebir
Good morning	Domireh ki	Idomleki
come	bur	iahh	Eyaham
water	pi	hi
food	forbile	hobile

Lere phrases

• Good morning: Domireh ki (Response: Domireh zain)
• Good afternoon: Sundareh ki (Response: Sundareh zain)
• Good evening/night: Yirbaa ki (Response: Yirbaa zain)
• Thank you: Barka
• Good: Minga
• Come: Bur
• Go: Ta
• You're welcome: An barka boi
• I love you: Moi wam

The Busa and Boko peoples of Benin and Nigeria

The Busa and Boko peoples, two subgroups of the Bissa people, live in Northwestern Nigeria and Northern Benin near Borgu in the Nigerian States of Niger, Kebbi and Kwara (mostly Bokobaru subgroup) and in the Beninese Departments of Alibori and Borgou.

They speak Busa (also known as Bisã) and Boko (also known as Boo). This peoples are referred to as Bussawa in Hausa.

Some notable clans and Appellations of the Bissa Tribe

The Clan	Appellations
Pagou	Nombre/Ziginni
Gassuogou	Yaalah
Tangari	Lengani
Tangaré	Lingani
Garango	Bambara
Tunugu	Saare
Bussim	Guerm/Guerne
Sandugu	Zeba
Lergu	Jinko
Ziglah	Bandau
Pakala	Billa
Tuuro	Dabre
Woono	Zaare
Saawunno	Nyenni
Chenno	Yabre
Bura	Zuure
Saarugu	Saare
Muungo	Gamine
Kayo	Gampine
Bugula	Darga
Gulagun	Nombone
Yiringu	Galbane
Lengi	Monnie
Kadpugu	Yankini
Ganni	Samandulugu
Jangani	Guengane
Bedega	Wandaago
Leda	Zampaligidi
Woono	Wango
longa	Welgu/Keera
Sasima	Daboni
Zangila	Kidibari
Kuu	Lenkoni
Zaka	Boibani
Hunzaawu	Zombra
Bergu	Baara
Nyaawu	Campaore
Gulanda	Bayere
leere	Zampoo
Dansanga	Genni
Somma	Zakaani
Sominne	Senre/Sebene
Gudu	Sewonner
Sonno	Lembani
Wargu	Bansi
Tollah	Bansi
Wanda	Gulla
Dansanga	Genni
Zhetta	Zesonni
Koonteega	Yourda
Bangu	Sambare
Youngou	Gambo
Gerrimah	Nyenni
Kerimah	Ziigani
Yakungu	Gengani
Gangila	Nunkansi
Kele	Gansani
Tinga	Bidiga
Bann	Zanni

The Bissa people are divided into numerous clans. Their language differs slightly; dialects are Barka, Lere, and Lebir.

Most Bissa are Muslim and some are traditionalist. (Practices African Traditional religion). The Bissa of the Garango Circle are among the most representative of the north. The Garango township, which forms the center of the northern Bissa, remained independent, while the northwestern districts were under the tutelage of the Mossi kingdom of Ouagadougou and the northeastern townships under the supervision of the Mossi kingdom of Tenkodogo. In Accra, Ghana, some of the established and notable towns are Busanga line in the North Kaneshie area of the Okai Koi constituency. Other towns noted for their Bissa people are Town Council line or Lartebiokorshie and shukura in the Ablekuma central constituency, and Nima in Ayawaso central constituency. In Bissa's tribes, Lingani's are the holder of both the political power and the mystical power. The person that holds the power is not the one with the crown but the one that gives the crown. No one can access to the power and wear the crown prior being mystically prepared by the Lingani's in Tangaré village of Garango in the province of Boulgou (Burkina Faso). The Lingani's are hunters and the ceremonial fig tree with their ancestors' centenary hunting spear is still visible today near Tangaré mountain facing Lingani's familial house. Bissas live with their dead ancestors buried in front of their houses in order to honor them. Bissa burial sites are dug in shape of traditional building but underground with a small hole for the body entrance and the person that receives the body to lay him for rest. Several people can be buried in the same familial grave. The grave entrance is covered with a clay vase that can be removed for future burial. Barso the ancestor of the Bissas was a hunter. NOTE. Is from Bissa Bissam Baa Kamaji house.

See also

• Busa language (Mande)
• Boko language
• Kyenga language
• Shanga language

References

1. Bissa at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Lewis, 2009
3. Vanhoudt, Bettie (1999). Lexique Bisa-Français. Mandenkan.
4. SIL 2016.

Sources

• "Dictionnaire Bissa-Barka". SIL International. 25 April 2016., the SIL entry direct towards "Dictionnaire Bissa-Barka". Sous-Commission de la langue Bisa.