| Bullom So | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Sierra Leone,Guinea |
| Region | coast of Guinea, near the Sierra Leone border |
Native speakers | 7,700 in Sierra Leone (2019)[1] Few in Guinea[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | buy |
| Glottolog | bull1247 |
| ELP | Mani |
TheBullom So language, also calledMmani,[2]Mani, orMandingi, is anendangered language currently spoken in a few villages inSamu region ofSierra Leone'sKambia District, near the border ofGuinea. It belongs to theMel branch of theNiger–Congo language family and is particularly closely related to theBom language. Intermarriage between Bullom So speakers and speakers ofTemne andSusu is common. As the few remaining speakers of Bullom So are all over 60, the language is consideredmoribund.[citation needed][similar claims in Eth. 15 have been abandoned]
According to Childs, the Mani once occupied an area far greater than where the language is spoken today. At the start of the 18th century, the Mani kingdom stretched from Sierra-Leone to Guinea.[3] They were later replaced along the coastal region byTemne-Baga speakers, and later by theSoso, through war, invasion and acculturation.[3]
The Bullom So (Mani) language is aNiger-Congo language ofMel subgroup. It is closely related toKisi,Sherbro, Kim andBom.[3]
| Labial | Dental | Palatal | Velar | Labial– velar | Glottal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | ɲ⟨ny⟩ | ŋ | ||||
| Plosive | plain | pb | td | tʃ⟨c⟩ | k | gb | |
| prenasalized | ᵐp | ⁿtⁿd | ᵑk | ||||
| Fricative | f | s | h | ||||
| Liquid | rl | ||||||
| Semivowel | j⟨y⟩ | w | |||||
The most common syllable type in Bullom So (Mani) is CV and CVC.[3] Nasals can also be syllabic, though they are relatively uncommon, much like V only syllables.[3]
Vowels are nasalised when syllable codas containnasals. Here are some examples from Childs (2011: 37):
Regressive Nasal Assimilation
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Gustavus Reinhold Nyländer translated the Gospel of Matthew into Bullom So, and portions of the Bible were also included in his Book of Common Prayer. These were published by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1816.
| Bullom So (Nyländer translation) | English (New King James translation) |
|---|---|
| Oh Papah hë wonno cheh ko kë foy. Ilille moa u cheh yenkeleng. Baily moa leh hun. Peh na nghah yempy tre pehne n yehmah oh kë upock u tre kë manleh peh na nghah yeo ko kë foy. Nkah hë yempy dyo pallë o pallë. Nlap ndërick mbang n hë kë manleh hë lap nokono hë nyërick mbang ngha tre; M ma hë yuck kë nghehl; nfoke hë kë dyah bang ah tre. Moa bë baily tre, moa bë fossoh buleing, moa bë gbentha bomu tre trim o trim. Amen. | Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. |
| Bullom So | English |
|---|---|
| 1. Ngheuēhnghatukēh, lileh ngha heleh; ërum bulēing ńviss ngha sōsë tre ah? Foy. Batukeh. 2. Mpal ë woo ngho Foy ngha ńyërick ń tre manah būlēing? Mpal ë mainbull. 3. Yēh Foy ngha boa ë pal ë mainting? U foll hoa mainting nũ ngha rubah.... | 1. Who made the heaven, earth, and sea; all trees, beasts, and fishes? God. 2. In how many days did God make all these things? In six days. 3. What did God on the seventh day? He rested on the seventh and made it holy.... |
