Bobo language

Bɔbɔ
Bobo Fing
Region	Burkina, Mali
Ethnicity	Bobo people
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

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:

• Southern dialects: Syabéré (Sya), Benge, Sogokiré, Voré, Zara (Bobo Dioula/Jula)
• Northern AKA Konabéré dialects: Yaba, Sankuma (Sarokama), Jèrè, Tankri, Kure, Kukoma (Koma).

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).