Languages of Burkina Faso



Burkina Faso is a multilingual country. An estimated 70 languages are spoken there, of which about 66 are indigenous. Mooré is spoken by about 52.5% of the population, mainly in the central region around the capital, Ouagadougou.

In the west, Mande languages are widely spoken, the most predominant being Dyula (also spelled Jula or Dioula), others including Bobo, Samo, and Marka. Peul (fulfulde), a dialect of Fulani, is spoken in the north, however it is widely spoken throughout the country as a lingua franca. Gourmantché is spoken in the east, while the Bissa language is spoken in the south.

Education for the deaf in Burkina uses American Sign Language, which was introduced by the deaf American missionary Andrew Foster. The Burkina Sign Language is used in Ouagadougou.

Official and indigenous languages
Mooré is the most widely spoken official language in the country, with 48 percent of Burkinabe being speakers as of 2008 and is a lingua franca. Bissa, Dyula, and Peul are also official languages. This has caused consternation with speakers of the other languages, who have protested it as an injustice.

The country's name was taken from words in two of the official languages, with ‘Burkina’ meaning ‘man of integrity’ in Mooré and ‘Faso’ meaning ‘father’s house’ in Dyula.

Peul is the lingua franca in many parts of Burkina Faso. It is widely spoken in the north and east of the country as a first language, with 8.36 percent of the population able to speak it. Dyula is also a lingua franca and is widely used as a trading language, particularly in the west and in Bobo-Dioulasso. A 2014 survey reported that 5.7% of the population speaks Dyula as their dominant language at home, but the number of L2 speakers is likely much higher. Bissa is spoken by 2.85% of the population.

Most spoken languages belong to either the Mande or Gur families. In rural areas of Burkina Faso, one's native language is typically used for common activities. In large towns, most people are multilingual. Although not recognized as an official language, Gourmanché is spoken by 5.51% of the population. Other important minority languages include Bwamu, spoken by 1.91%, Dagara, spoken by 1.76%; and Samo, spoken by 1.66%. Dagara is spoken in the southwestern part of Burkina Faso and borrows heavily from French and, to a lesser degree, English.

Endangered languages include:


 * Jalkunan [aka Dyala, Dyalanu, Jalkuna]
 * Kalamsé [aka Kalemsé, Kalenga, Sàmòmá]
 * Khe [aka Kheso, Bambadion-Kheso,]
 * Khisa [aka Komono, Khi Khipa, Kumwenu]
 * Natioro [aka Koo'ra, Natyoro, Natjoro]
 * Pana (Burkina Faso) [aka Sama,]
 * Pongu [aka Pongo, Pangu, Arringeu]
 * Sininkere [aka Silinkere, Silanke,]
 * Tiéfo [aka Foro, Tyefo, Tyeforo]
 * Wara [aka Wára, Ouara, Ouala]

Working languages
The working languages are French, which was introduced when France colonized Burkina Faso in 1919, and English. French is a language of instruction in the nation's schools. However, fewer than 15 percent of the population uses French on a day-to-day basis. Despite this low percentage, there is a high amount of support in keeping French as a language of instruction because it provides children a pathway to social mobility and assures continued economic support for education. In fact, according to a 1998 report, “Burkinabe saw no interest in sending their children to school to learn a language that they already spoke at home”.