Nyabwa

A language of Côte d’Ivoire

Niaboua, Nyaboa, Nyabobɔgo, Nyabwa-Nyédébwa, “Bété” (pej.)

Nyabobɔgʋ

72,000 (Leclerc 2017c).

Bas-Sassandra district: northwest; Sassandra-Marahoué district: Vavoua subprefecture, Kouya canton; Buyo, Daloua, Issia, Vavoua (Nyedebwa), and Zoukougbeu (Nyabwa) subprefectures, 12 southwest villages; all in Lake Buyo area.

Language Status

5* (Developing).

Classification

Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Kru, Western, Wee, Nyabwa

Dialects

Nyabwa, Nyedebwa (Niédéboua), Kouzii (Kouzié). Lexical similarity: 90% with Nyabwa and Nyedebwa dialects, 74%–80% between them and Wè Southern [gxx] and Wè Northern [wob].

Typology

Whistle speech reported.

Language Use

Also use French [fra]. Also use Jula [dyu]. Also use Wè Northern [wob]. Also use Wè Southern [gxx].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 5%–10%. Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%. NT: 1991.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Nyabwa

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Christian, traditional religion.