Mossi, also known as Mòoré, is a language belonging to the Gur branch of the Niger-Congo language family. Predominantly spoken in Burkina Faso, it has strong linguistic ties to several other African languages. According to the eLinguistics.net analysis using specific software modules to assess linguistic relationships, the five languages most similar to Mossi are Fula, Aja, Ewe, Zande, and Baoulé, although it is quite unique.
- Fula (28.8)
Fula, a widely spoken language across West Africa, belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family. While it is not from the Gur subgroup like Mossi, there are significant linguistic and cultural interactions between Fula and Mossi speakers due to historical migration and trade. The similarities include shared vocabulary, loanwords, and certain phonetic structures influenced by prolonged contact. - Aja (27.7)
Spoken primarily in Benin and Togo, Aja is another similar language to Mossi. Both languages share similar phonological patterns, including the use of tonal distinctions to convey meaning. Additionally, the two languages exhibit lexical similarities due to their historical proximity and cultural exchanges between speakers in West Africa. - Ewe (27.1)
Ewe is a Kwa language spoken in Ghana and Togo. It shares structural and phonetic traits with Mossi. The influence of Niger-Congo linguistic characteristics is evident in both languages, particularly in their noun classification systems and verb structures. Although Mossi belongs to a different branch, historical interactions have contributed to parallel grammatical developments. - Zande (25.9)
Zande is spoken in Central Africa, particularly in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic. While Zande and Mossi come from distinct language families, they share some phonological and syntactic traits due to their geographic and cultural linkages. Borrowings and linguistic convergence, possibly through trade and migration, contribute to their similarities. - Baoulé (24.7)
A language of the Akan branch within the Niger-Congo family, Baoulé is spoken in Ivory Coast. The similarities between Baoulé and Mossi stem from their common ancestral roots within the Niger-Congo classification. Shared grammatical structures, such as noun class systems and verb morphology, make them linguistically related despite their distinct subgroupings.
(to be considered for the list, the language must be spoken by at least one million people)