The Loma people, sometimes called Loghoma, Looma, Lorma or Toma, are a West African

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

living primarily in mountainous, sparsely populated regions near the border between

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

and

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Their population was estimated at 330,000 in the two countries in 2010. They are closely related to the

Mende people The Mende are one of the two largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone; their neighbours, the Temne people, constitute the largest ethnic group at 35.5% of the total population, which is slightly larger than the Mende at 31.2%. The Mende are pred ...

. The Loma speak a language in the Southwestern branch of the

Mande languages The Mande languages are spoken in several countries in West Africa by the Mandé peoples and include Maninka, Mandinka, Soninke, Bambara, Kpelle, Dioula, Bozo, Mende, Susu, and Vai. There are "60 to 75 languages spoken by 30 to 40 million ...

, belonging to the Niger-Congo family of languages. The language is similar to the Kpelle, Mende, Gola, Vai, and Bandi languages. The Loma refer to their language as Löömàgòòi or Löghömàgòòi ). The Loma people, led by Wido Zobo and assisted by a Loma weaver named Moriba, developed a writing script for their language in the 1930s. This writing script contains at least 185 characters. The Mandinka, Koniaka, and Kissi refer to the Loma as ''Toma''. Loma refer to themselves as Löömàgìtì (, or Löghömagiti in Guinea). They have retained their Traditional Religion, and resisted the Islamic jihads. The Loma people called the religious conflict with

Mandinka people The Mandinka or Malinke are a West African ethnic group primarily found in southern Mali, the Gambia and eastern Guinea. Numbering about 11 million, they are the largest subgroup of the Mandé peoples and one of the largest ethnic-linguistic gro ...

as a historic 'rolling war'. The Loma people are notable for their large wooden masks that merge syncretic animal and human motifs. These masks have been a part of their ''Poro'' secret rites of passage. The largest masks are about six feet high, contain feather decorations and believed by Loma to have forest spirits. The Loma people farm rice, but in shifting farms. They are exogamous people, with patrilineal social organization in matters related to inheritance, succession and lineage affiliations with one-marriage rule. Joint families, or virilocal communities are common, wherein families of brothers settle close to each other. The Loma people are also referred to as Buzi, Buzzi, Logoma, Toale, Toali, Toa, or Tooma.RAMEAU, BnFbr>
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Loma patronyms

Notable Loma people

Louis Lansana Béavogui Louis Lansana Beavogui ( nqo, ߟߊ߲߭ߛߌ߬ߣߍ߬ ߓߌߦߊߝ߭ߏߜ߭ߌ߫; 28 December 1923 – 19 August 1984) was a Guinean politician. He was Prime Minister from 1972 to 1984 and was briefly interim President in 1984. Background and pol ...

, former prime minister of Guinea from 1972 to 1984 *

Joshua Guilavogui Josuha Jérémy Akoi Fara Guilavogui (born 19 September 1990) is a French professional association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. Early life Guilavogui was born in Ollioules, France, t ...

, French footballer * K. Guilavogui, Guinean politician *

Michel Guilavogui Michel Guilavogui (born 12 December 1993) is a Guinean association football, footballer who most recently played for the Rochester Rhinos in USL Championship, United Soccer League. Career Guilavogui signed with United Soccer League side Rocheste ...

, Guinean footballer *

Mohamed Guilavogui Mohamed Guilavogui (born 14 November 1996) is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a forward for French club GOAL. Club career A product of the youth system at Montpellier, Guilavogui made the move to Clermont in the summer of 2016. ...

, Malian footballer *

Morgan Guilavogui Morgan Guilavogui (born 10 March 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 2 club Paris FC. Born in France, he plays for the Guinea national team. Early life Guilavogui was born in Ollioules, France, to Guinean f ...

, French footballer *

Pépé Guilavogui Pepe Guilavogui (born 2 June 1993) is a Guinea, Guinean Association football, football midfielder. Club career FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce - Vráble Guilavogui made his professional Slovak First Football League, Fortuna Liga debut for FC ViOn Zlaté ...

, Guinean footballer *

Simon Falette Simon Augustin Falette (born 19 February 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Turkish club Hatayspor. Born in France, he represents the Guinea national team. Club career Falette started playing football at Tours bef ...

* Balla Onivogui, Guinean trumpet player * Mohamed Simakan

References

External links

Ethnologue report for Loma language
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loma People Ethnic groups in Guinea Ethnic groups in Liberia Mandé people