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, 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) |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| 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 |
| 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.