Bom language

Bom
Bom–Krim
Native to Sierra Leone
Native speakers
 a "few hundred" (2014)[1]
Niger–Congo
Dialects
  • Bom
  • Krim
Language codes
ISO 639-3 bmf
Glottolog bomk1234[2]

The Bom language (alternates: Bome; Bomo)[3] 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, and use of the Bom language is declining among members of the ethnic group.[4]

Speakers

There are about 250 speakers of Bom left, in 2005, see reference, all of whom are over the age of 50.[5] They have spread westward from their original location, and the language is today spoken west of the Wanje River.

Classification

Bom is a Northern Bullom language. The Krim dialect (also known as Dilan Hassan)[3] is considered by speakers to be distinct, as speakers have separate ethnic identities.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Bom at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. ↑ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Bom–Krim". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  3. 1 2 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.
  4. ↑ Akinsulure, M.O. (1979). Languages and Language Problems in Sierra Leone: An Annotated Bibliography. Njala University College Library.
  5. ↑ Kanu, Sullay (2005). Languages at Risk: A Case Study from Sierra Leone.
  6. ↑ Childs, Tucker (2012). One or two? Bom and Kim, two highly endangered South Atlantic "languages" of Sierra Leone.


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