Sénoufo, Sìcìté

Primary tabs

A language of Burkina Faso

ISO 639-3

sep

Alternate Names

Sucite, Sìcìré, Sìcìté, Sìpììté, Tagba

Autonym

Sìcijuungé

User Population

35,000 in Burkina Faso (1999 SIL). All Senoufo languages: 173,000 (2009 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 38,000.

Location

Cascades region: Leraba province, Oueleni department; Hauts-Bassins region: Kenedougou province, Koloko and Ouelaní prefectures, Tagouara plateau to Mali border.

Language Maps

Southern Mali

Burkina Faso

Central Mali: Enlarged area

Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification

Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Gur, Senufo, Suppire-Mamara

Dialects

None known. Intelligibility low of Nanerige Senoufo [sen].

Typology

SOV; postpositions; genitives before nouns, articles, adjectives, numerals after noun head, question word initial; 1 prefix, 2 suffixes; word order distinguishes subjects, objects, indirect objects; CV, CVV; tonal, 3 tones.

Language Use

Used by all. Also use French [fra]. Also use Jula [dyu].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: Low. Literacy rate in L2: 20% Jula or French. Radio. NT: 2017.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Sénoufo, Sìcìté

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Little intermarriage with others in the southern area. Traditional religion, Muslim.