Sherbro

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A language of Sierra Leone

ISO 639-3
bun
Alternate Names
Amampa, Mampa, Mampwa, Shiba, Southern Bullom
Population

135,000 (1989 J. Kaiser).

Location

Southern Province adjoining Western area; western peninsula, York district, Ribbi Shenge, Dima, Sicie, Timdel, Benducha, and Nongoba.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Southern, Mel, Bullom-Kissi, Bullom, Southern
Dialects

Ndema Sherbro, Peninsula Sherbro, Shenge Sherbro, Sitia Sherbro. Not intelligible with Krim [krm] or Bullom So [buy]. Shenge is the prestige dialect. Lexical similarity: 66%–69% with Bullom So [buy], 44%–45% with Krim [krm], 83%–89% among dialects.

Other Comments

Traditional religion, Muslim, Christian.