Mooré

Mooré is one of the official languages of Burkina Faso and belongs to the Gur language family, specifically the Oti–Volta branch. It is the main language of the Mossi people and is spoken by around 6.46 million people as their native language in Burkina Faso and several nearby countries, including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Niger, Mali, Togo, and Senegal. Many more people use Mooré as a second language.

Over half of the population in Burkina Faso speaks Mooré either as a first or second language, making it very important in daily life and in the capital city of Ouagadougou. The language is closely related to Frafra and, to a lesser extent, to Dagbani. Mooré plays a big role in connecting people across different regions.

Phonology

The Mooré language has many different sounds that make it special.

Consonants

One special sound is the letter y. When it appears before certain vowels, it sounds like a soft ny sound.

Vowels

Mooré has many vowel sounds. Most of these vowels can be said in two ways: short and long. They can also change their sound slightly in some words. Some people also hear a few extra vowel sounds, but they are usually thought of as two vowels said together.

Orthography

In Burkina Faso, the Mooré alphabet uses the letters from the national Burkinabé alphabet. It can also be written with a newer alphabet called the Goulsse alphabet.