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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Sierra Leone > Mende

Mende

A language of Sierra Leone

ISO 639-3: men

Population  1,480,000 in Sierra Leone (2006). Population total all countries: 1,499,700.
Region  South central. Expanding along the coast and south and east. Also in Liberia.
Language map  Sierra Leone, reference number 10
Alternate names   Boumpe, Hulo, Kossa, Kosso
Dialects  Kpa, Ko, Waanjama, Sewawa. Bandi [bza], mainly in Liberia, is considered a separate language. Lexical similarity: 92%–98% among dialects.
Classification  Niger-Congo, Mande, Western, Central-Southwestern, Southwestern, Mende-Loma, Mende-Bandi, Mende-Loko
Language use  Trade language. Also use Krio [kri].
Language development  Taught as an elective from primary to college levels. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1959.
Writing system  Latin script. Mende script, little used except for correspondence and record keeping, especially accounting.
Comments  Traditional religion, Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

Liberia

Language name   Mende
Population  19,700 in Liberia (Vanderaa 1991).
Language map  Liberia, reference number 21
Alternate names  Boumpe, Hulo, Kossa, Kosso
Comments  Muslim.
 

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

Anonymous. 1999. Make way for Mende.