Bom language
Encyclopedia
The Bom language 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.
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. It belongs to the Mel branch of the Niger–Congo
Niger–Congo languages
The Niger–Congo languages constitute one of the world's major language families, and Africa's largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. They may constitute the world's largest language family in terms of distinct languages, although this question...
language family and is particularly closely related to the Bullom So language
Bullom So language
The Bullom So language, also called Mmani or Mandingi, is an endangered language spoken near the border between Guinea and Sierra Leone. It belongs to the Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family and is particularly closely related to the Bom language. The people have intermarried with Temne...
. Most speakers are bilingual in Mende
Mende language
Mende is a major language of Sierra Leone, with some speakers in neighboring Liberia. It is spoken by the Mende people and by other ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone....
, and use of the Bom language is declining among members of the ethnic group.