View source for Sherbro language

{{Short description|Endangered Mel language of Sierra Leone}}
{{other uses of|Sherbro}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Sherbro
| states           = [[Sierra Leone]]
| region           = coast of Sierra Leone and [[Sherbro Island]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|208,000|2}}
| date             = 2019
| ref              = e25
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam2             = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3             = [[Mel languages|Mel]]
| fam4             = Bullom–Kissi
| fam5             = [[Bullom languages|Bullom]]
| fam6             = Southern
| iso3             = bun
| glotto           = sher1258
| glottorefname    = Sherbro
| ethnicity        = [[Sherbro people]]
| altname          = Southern Bullom
| map              = Sierra_Leone_ethnic_groups.svg
| mapcaption       = Map of ethnic and linguistic groups in Sierra Leone
}}

The '''Sherbro language''' (also known as Southern Bullom, Shiba, Amampa, Mampa, and Mampwa) is an [[endangered language]] of [[Sierra Leone]]. It belongs to the [[Mel languages|Mel]] branch of the [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] language family.  While Sherbro has more speakers than the other Bullom languages, its use is declining among the [[Sherbro people]], in favor of [[Krio language|Krio]] and [[English language|English]].<ref name = "Childs2025">{{Cite book
| vauthors=Childs GT
| title = A grammar of Sherbro 
| place = Berlin
| publisher = Language Science Press
| date = 2025
| format = pdf
| url = http://langsci-press.org/catalog/book/403
| doi = 10.5281/zenodo.15045985
| doi-access = free
| isbn = 9783961105045
}}
</ref>
 

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]] (CMS) and published in 1839.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tooyoo.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/Redbook/Africa/AF_src.cgi?language0=0&language1=0&language2=0&language3=0&language4=Sherbro&language5=0 Sherbro entry in the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages]{{Dead link|date=March 2025}}

{{Languages of Sierra Leone}}
{{Atlantic languages}}
[[Category:Bullom languages]]
[[Category:Endangered languages of Africa]]
[[Category:Languages of Sierra Leone]]


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