Bobo language

Bɔbɔ
Bobo Fing
Spoken in Burkina, Mali
Ethnicity Bobo
Native speakers 370,000  (2000)
Language family
Niger–Congo ?
  • Mande
    • Western Mande
      • Northwestern
        • Soninke–Bobo
          • Bɔbɔ
Language codes
ISO 639-3 either:
bwq – Southern
bbo – Konabéré
Majority areas of Bobo speakers, in medium yellow, on a map of Burkina Faso

Bobo (Bɔbɔ; also known as Bobo Fi, Bobo Fign, Bobo Fing, Bobo Mandaré, Black Bobo) is a major Mande language of Burkina Faso; the western city of Bobo Dioulasso is named partly for the Bobo people. Bobo consists of:

Northern and Southern Bobo share only 20%–30% intelligibility according to Ethnologue, and by that standard are considered separate languages.

The terms Bobo Fing 'Black Bobo' and Bobo Mandaré are used to distinguish them from the Bobo Gbe 'White Bobo' (the Bomu people of Mali) and the Bobo Oule (the Bwa people of Burkina).