The Bom language (alternates: Bome; Bomo) 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.
Speakers The number of speakers range from 15 to 1669 (Census 2015)Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census national analytical report. Statistics Sierra Leone, October 2017, S. 89ff. for Krim and 20Bom. UNESCO Atlas of the World Languages in Danger. to a few hundred for Bom.
Classification Bom is a Northern Bullom language. The Krim dialect (also known as Dilan Hassan) is considered by speakers to be distinct, as speakers have separate ethnic identities.
References
External links Bom entry in the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages EndangeredLanguages.com Profile for Bom Bom Audio sample included in video on Endangered Languages