090404_07 Documentation of Kim and Bom Languages of Sierre Leone

This Project will document two dying languages spoken in the coastal tidelands of south-eastern Sierra Leone. Only a few score speakers use Kim while even fewer know Bom; all are bilingual in Mende. The languages survive due to the remaining speakers' isolation in tiny fishing villages along a remote tidal estuary. Documentation of the language and culture will be achieved by means of multiple media, performed collaboratively with Kim and Bom people themselves. In addition, Western graduate students, as well as students and lecturers from the national university will be trained and will actively participate in the project. All materials will be digitised and archived locally and internationally. These products will form virtually the only documentation of the people and their language and could also provide the basis for any revitalisation efforts.