The Bom language (alternates: Bome; Bomo)[2] is an endangered language of Sierra Leone. It belongs to the Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family and is particularly closely related to the Bullom So language. Most speakers are bilingual in Mende. Use of the Bom language is declining among members of the ethnic group.[3]
| Bom | |
|---|---|
| Bom–Krim | |
| Native to | Sierra Leone |
Native speakers | Krim: less than 15 (2014)[1] "a few hundreds" (no date)[1] |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bmf |
| Glottolog | bomk1234 |
| ELP | |
Speakers
editThe number of speakers range from 15[1] to 1669 (Census 2015)[4] for Krim and 20[5] to a few hundred for Bom.[1]
Classification
editBom is a Northern Bullom language. The Krim dialect (also known as Dilan Hassan)[2] is considered by speakers to be distinct, as speakers have separate ethnic identities.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Bom at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ a b Batibo, Herman (2005). Language decline and death in Africa: causes, consequences, and challenges. Multilingual Matters. pp. 82–. ISBN 978-1-85359-808-1. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
- ^ Akinsulure, M.O. (1979). Languages and Language Problems in Sierra Leone: An Annotated Bibliography. Njala University College Library.
- ^ Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census national analytical report. Statistics Sierra Leone, October 2017, S. 89ff.
- ^ Bom. UNESCO Atlas of the World Languages in Danger.
- ^ Childs, Tucker (2012). One or two? Bom and Kim, two highly endangered South Atlantic "languages" of Sierra Leone.
External links
edit- Bom entry in the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages
- EndangeredLanguages.com Profile for Bom
- Bom Audio sample included in video on Endangered Languages
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