Biali

Print

Primary tabs

A language of Benin

ISO 639-3
beh
Alternate Names
Berba, Bialaba, Bieri, Bjerb, Bjeri
Autonym
Byali
User Population

162,000 in Benin (2018). Total users in all countries: 166,080.

Location

Atacora department: Cobly, Materi, and Tanguieta communes; Collines department: Ouessi commune; Donga department: small border area west of Oueme river.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Gur, Central, Northern, Oti-Volta, Eastern
Dialects

Dassari, Gouande, Materi, Pingou, Tihoun, Tangeta, Porga.

Typology

SVO; postpositions; 14 noun classes; Aspect, no tense; tonal.

Language Use

Used by all. Also use French [fra]. Used as L2 by Notre [bly].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 1–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 15–20% in French [fra]. Radio. NT: 2018.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Biali
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Historical accounts claim they originated in the F’ada N’Gourma area of Burkina Faso. Different from Baatonum (Bariba) [bba]. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Expand All
Collapse All