The Sherbro language (also known as Southern Bullom, Shiba, Amampa, Mampa, and Mampwa) is an
endangered language
An endangered language or moribund language is a language that is at risk of disappearing as its speakers die out or shift to speaking other languages. Language loss occurs when the language has no more native speakers and becomes a "dead langu ...
of
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
. It belongs to the
Mel languages, Mel branch of the
Niger–Congo language family. While Sherbro has more speakers than the other Bullom languages, its use is declining among the
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 1.9% of Sierra Leone's population or 134,606. The Sherbro are found primarily in their homeland in Bonthe District, where they make up 40% o ...
, in favor of
Krio and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
The first recorded publication in Sherbro is a selection of seven parables from Matthew and Luke in the New Testament. This was translated by
James Schön of the
Church Missionary Society
The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...
(CMS) and published in 1839.
References
External links
Sherbro entry in the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages
Bullom languages
Endangered languages of Africa
Languages of Sierra Leone
{{SierraLeone-stub