Loma language
| Loma | |
|---|---|
| Looma | |
| Native to | Liberia, Guinea |
| Ethnicity | Loma |
Native speakers | 420,000 (2012)[1] |
Niger–Congo
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:lom – Liberian Lomatod – Toma |
| People | Löömàgìtì [lɔːmàɡìtì] in Liberia Löghömagiti [lɔɣɔmaɡiti] in Guinea |
|---|---|
| Language | Löömàgòòi [lɔːmàɡòːi] Löghömàgòòi [lɔɣɔmàɡòːi] |
Loma (Loghoma, Looma, Lorma) is a Mande language spoken by the Loma people of Liberia and Guinea.
Dialects of Loma proper in Liberia are Gizima, Wubomei, Ziema, Bunde, Buluyiema. The dialect of Guinea, Toma (Toa, Toale, Toali, or Tooma, the Malinke name for Loma), is an official regional language.
In Liberia, the people and language are also known as "Bouze" (Busy, Buzi), which is considered offensive.
Writing Systems
Today, Loma is written using a Latin-based alphabet. A syllabary saw limited use in the 1930s and '40s in correspondence between Loma-speakers, but today has fallen into disuse. [2]
Sample
The Lord's Prayer in Loma:[3]
- Yài è ga gé ɣeeai è gee-zuvɛ,
- ɓaa ɣa la yà laa-zeigi ma,
- yà masadai va,
- è yii-mai ɣɛ zui zu è ɣɛ velei é ɣɛɛzu la è wɔ vɛ,
- è zaa mii ŋenigi ʋe gé ya,
- è gé vaa ʋaitiɛ zu ʋaa yɛ,
- è ɣɛ velei gá ɓalaa gé zɔitiɛ zu ʋaa yɛga la gá ʋaa yega te va.
- Mɛ lɛ kɛ tɛ-ga ɔ́ wo ga gíɛ,
- kɛ̀ è gé wulo tuɓo-vele-yowũ nui ya.
References
- ^ Liberian Loma at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
Toma at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
- ^ Loma syllabary
- ^ Matthew 6:9-13 in Deʋe niinɛ [New Testament in Loma]. Monrovia: Bible Society in Liberia, 1971. This excerpt visible at http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-loma.html.
References
Rude, Noel. 1983. Ergativity and the active-stative typology in Loma. Studies in African Linguistics, 14:265-283. http://elanguage.net/journals/index.php/sal/article/view/1142
Sadler, Wesley. 1951. Untangled Loma : a course of study of the Looma language of the Western Province, Liberia, West Africa. Published by Board of Foreign Missions of the United Lutheran Church in America for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Liberia.