Limba, West-Central

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A language of Sierra Leone

ISO 639-3
lia
Alternate Names
Yimba, Yumba
Autonym
Hulimba ha
User Population

516,000 (2019).

Location

Northern province: east Bombali and northeast Kambia districts, Little Scarcies river area; north of Makeni.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial working language in Northern province (2004, Local Government Act, Article 16(1)), may be used in local council deliberations.

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Atlantic, Southern, Limba
Dialects

Western Limba (Sela, Tonko), Central Limba (Gbongogbo, Tamiso).

Language Development

Taught in primary schools through grade 3. Taught as subject in secondary schools in grades 7–9. NT: 1966–2011.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Limba, West-Central
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Quite different from East Limba [lma] of Sierra Leone and Guinea. Traditional religion, Muslim.