Survey Report on the Bissa Language
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SURVEY REPORT ON THE BISSA LANGUAGE WRITTEN BY: JOHN BERTHELETTE SIL International 2001 Contents 0 Introduction and Goals of the Survey 1 General Information 1.1 Language Classification 1.2 Language Location 1.2.1 Description of Location 1.2.2 Population 1.2.3 Accessibility and Transport 1.2.4 Religious Adherence 1.2.5 Schools/Education 1.2.6 Facilities and Economics 1.2.7 Traditional Culture 1.2.8 Linguistic Work in the Language Area 2 Methodology 2.1 Sampling on the Macro Level (villages covered within the language area) 2.2 Lexicostatistic Survey 2.3 Dialect Intelligibility Survey 2.4 Questionnaires 3 Comprehension and Lexicostatistical Data (between villages) 3.1 Reported Intercomprehension according to Questionnaire Responses 3.2 Results of the Recorded Text Tests 3.3 Results of Word List Analysis 3.4 Summary 3.5 Areas for Further Study 4 Multilingual Issues 4.1 Language Use Description 4.1.1 Children's Language Use 4.1.2 Adult Language Use 4.2 Language Attitudes as Reported 5 Recommendations with Regards to a Language/Literacy Project Appendices Appendix A: Population Statistics Appendix B: Christian Presence among the Bissa Appendix C: Education statistics Appendix D: Bissa Word List Bibliography References Other Materials about Bissa Materials Published in Bissa Contacts for Further Information 2 The Bissa Survey Report 0 Introduction and Goals of the Survey This report presents the findings of a survey conducted in the Bissa language group by Byron and Annette Harrison and Carol and John Berthelette in April 1996 and by Tasséré Sawadogo and Wilhelm Pleis in February 1997. The survey was deemed necessary because of unresolved questions concerning the inherent intelligibility between the two major Bissa dialects: lébir and barka. Since a language development project is well underway in the lébir dialect, it is important to evaluate the extensibility of lébir written materials for the barka speakers. Thus, the survey had as its goal to gather basic sociolinguistic information on the Bissa people-group, including: ♦ finding out more about the general sociolinguistic and demographic setting; ♦ determining their need for language development in the barka dialect, including assessing not only inherent intelligibility between the two dialects but also attempting to assess language attitudes and the level of contact between them; and ♦ discovering signs of the vitality of the different varieties. 1 General Information 1.1 Language Classification Bissa falls under the following classification: “Niger-Congo, Mandé, Eastern, Southeastern, Eastern, Bissa” (Grimes 1992:175). Its precise classification is still open to some debate because of possible non-Niger-Congo traits (Van Houdt 1992: 16). The language is closely related to 6, or Samo, a language found in Burkina Faso's Nayala and Sourou provinces. It is also related to the Busa language in Nigeria (Prost 1950:9–10). The Bissa language dialect group lébir is found in the west and barka in the east. Especially in the south, the regions are separated by the Nakambé (formerly White Volta) river; in the north, however, many lébir villages are found to the east of the river. According to Naden, each dialect region is divided into two subdialects (Naden 1973:18). In the case of the lébir dialect, the subdialect is called “O{UH”,1 while the subdialect for the barka region shall be referred to in this paper as “JRUP\QH”, a term provided by a lébir speaker. Certain theses also mention a third lébir dialect in its eastern region, the “>FHÒU@” (see Lingani 1990:12 and Gouba 1988: 8), although this name did not arise during our field research. While in this paper we will refer to the speakers of this language as “Bissa”, they also refer to themselves as “E¸²VD´QR”´ (Lingani 1990:1). Certain literature refers 1This term apparently refers more to the geographical region than to the speech variety itself (Van Houdt 1992:18). 3 to them as “Busansi”, or “Boussansé”; this term appears to have come from the term for them used by the Mossi (Naden 1973:13). 1.2 Language Location The Bissa are mainly located in the southeastern corner of Burkina Faso principally in the province of Boulgou; however, Bissa are also located in certain villages in Zoundweogo, Koulpelogo, and Kouritenga. There is a relatively small population in the northeastern region of Ghana. Their neighbors to the north, east, and west are the Mossi; also to the west are the Nankana, and Kassena; to the south are the Koussassi and Moaba; and to the east the Yaande. The language area is roughly 6000 km2 (CNRST/INSS 1986). Compared with many other areas of Burkina Faso, it is quite densely populated, averaging approximately 45 inhabitants per km2 (Lingani 1990:7). See map figure 1.2.1.1 for further details. 1.2.1 Description of Location The Bissa live on the eastern edge of the Mossi plateau. The area is somewhat hilly and is made up of relatively good farmlands. Laclavère (1993:18) situates the Bissa on the border between the savanna grasslands and the gallery forests, where rainfall averages between 800 and 950 mm annually (Laclavère 1993:16). Figure 1.2.1.1 Map of Burkina Faso. 4 Figure1.2.1.2 Map of the Bissa Language Region2. 1.2.2 Population According to the 1985 Burkina census (INSD 1991:I, 7), there are 283,892 people who claim to be Bissa in Burkina Faso. Table 1.2.1.1 represents estimates of the number of speakers of each dialect. Note, however, that this data is based chiefly on second-hand reports of the dialect spoken in each village and census data from 1985, two of the reasons for discrepancies of the figures cited. See table 1 in appendix A for a listing of known barka Bissa-speaking villages and their populations. 2Adapted from CNRST/INSS, 1988. 5 Table1.2.1.1 Approximate Distribution of the Bissa Population by Dialect Bissa Dialect Population Population (with annual Percentage of Area (from 1985 census) increase of 2.68%)3 Total Bissa Population N. Lébir 121,500 166,881 49% /{UH 30,000 41,205 12% Total Lébir 151,500 208,086 61% N. Barka 58,500 80,350 23% *RUP\QH 39,000 53,567 16% Total Barka 97,500 133,917 39% There are also pockets or colonies of Bissa speakers4 in Togo and Ghana; in Ghana, the Bissa for the most part share towns with other people from other ethnic groups. From statistics for the Bawku East and West Administrative Districts in Ghana, some 57 villages have members of the Bissa ethnic group, and in 1988 the Bissa population numbered around 15,000 (Ghana Evangelism Committee 1988:4/1–4/30). Assuming a population increase of 3.09% (Adams 1993:105), the Bissa in the Upper East District would number around 21,400 in 1997. The total Bissa population in Ghana may number around 30,000. 1.2.3 Accessibility and Transport 1.2.3.1 Roads: Quality and Availability National Route 5, a recently refinished road to Ghana, and National Route 16, the major paved road to Togo, allow for easy access to the general Bissa region. Within the Bissa region itself, National Route 17 runs east/west, joining the northern lébir and barka regions. Route 12 allows for access to the O{UH (southern lébir) region. Both of these roads appear to be well-maintained. 3(Laclavère 1993:24) 4Naden assumes that most are originally from the northern lébir region (Naden 1997), although some may be JRUP\QH. 6 There are obstacles, however, to direct motor vehicle travel between the different Bissa-speaking regions. The reservoir/dam at Bagré, as well as the Nakambé (White Volta) River, are major natural barriers dividing the lébir and barka regions. A road does pass from one dialect zone to the other, however, and the dam was only recently constructed. Furthermore, as is the case in most of Burkina Faso, villages located off smaller roads can be difficult to reach due to the fact that lesser roads are more often left unrepaired. Aside from the villages located close to major roads, therefore, travel within the area by 4-wheel vehicles is limited, especially during the wet season. 1.2.3.2 Public Transport Systems Bush taxis run along the major roads within the Bissa region, but rarely run on the other nonmaintained routes in the countryside. 1.2.3.3 Trails Trails serve an important role within the region, joining many of those villages not near the major roads. For example, it is mainly by means of these trails that the O{UH and JRUP\QH zones have contact. Trails are mainly used for those on foot and on bicycle: 4-wheel vehicles often have quite a difficult time on these trails. 1.2.4 Religious Adherence 1.2.4.1 Spiritual Life In 1990, the religious affiliation of the Bissa was estimated as follows: 50% follow the traditional religion, 35% practice Islam, 12% are Roman Catholic, and 3% are Protestant (Hidden 1990:10). It appears, however, that in recent years many followers of the traditional religion have become at least nominal Muslims. Clifton Curtis, a Baptist missionary working among the Barka, estimates that 53% practice Islam; 31% follow the traditional religion; 13% are Roman Catholic, and 3% are Protestant (Curtis 1998:7). Naden states that most Bissa in Ghana are Muslim (Naden 1973:15). Islam first came into the Burkina Faso Bissa region during the time of the French colonization, and apparently by way of Muslim merchants (Hidden 1990:10). While Islam has quite a strong presence among the Bissa, it is difficult to determine the level of syncretism with traditional religions.