The most populous language is Mooré, the national language of Burkina Faso, spoken by over 55% of Burkina Faso’s 20 million population and an additional 1 million in neighboring countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, and Mali.
The internal classification of Oti–Volta, as worked out by Manessy 1975–79[1][2] and Naden 1989[3][4] (Williamson & Blench 2000[5][6]) is as follows: Buli–Koma: Buli, Konni Eastern (Somba): Biali, Mbelime, Tammari (Ditammari), Waama Nootre Northwest: Mõõré, Frafra, Safaliba, Wali, Dagaare–Northern Birifor–Southern Birifor Southeast: Dagbani, Hanga, Kamara, Kusaal, Nabit, Talni, Mampruli, Kantosi Gurma: Ngangam, Gourmanchéma, Moba (Bimoba), Ntcham (Akaselem), Nateni, Miyobe, Konkomba Yom–Nawdm: Nawdm, Yom Native Dagbani speakers assert that Dagbani is mutually intelligible with Dagaare, Frafra, Mamprusi, and Wali, but in the case of Dagaare, Frara and Wali it is rather the case that many people can understand some of a language which is not their mother tongue.
Bodomo (2017) refers to the Western Oti–Volta group (and also including Buli–Koma) as Central Mabia.
[7][8] The term Mabia is a portmanteau of the two lexical innovations ma- 'mother' + bia 'child'.
[9] Bodomo's Central Mabia group consists of 7 subgroups.