Yom

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A language of Benin

ISO 639-3
pil
Alternate Names
Kpilakpila, Pila, Pilapila
Autonym
Yom
User Population

364,000, all users. L1 users: 214,000 (2018). Includes 209,000 Yom and 4,820 Taneka (2018). L2 users: 150,000. Almost no monolinguals. Ethnic population: 300,000. 230,000 Yowa; 70,000 Tangma.

Location

Atacora department: Kouande, Natingou, and Pehonko communes; Borgou department: N’Dali commune; Donga department: Copargo and Djougou communes, south into Bassila commune.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Gur, Central, Northern, Oti-Volta, Yom-Nawdm
Dialects

Tangerem (Taneka), Yom. Yom and Tangerem dialects are very similar.

Language Use

Vigorous. Home, neighborhood, work, market. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Baatonum [bba]. Also use Dendi [ddn]. Also use French [fra]. Also use Lukpa [dop]. Also use Yoruba [yor]. Used as L2 by Borgu Fulfulde [fue], Dendi [ddn], Ditammari [tbz], Lukpa [dop].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 35%. Literacy rate in L2: 25% in French [fra]. Rate higher among youth and women. Newspapers. Radio. Grammar. Bible: 2020.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Yom
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Yom dialect users are called Yowa; Tangerem users are Tangma. Traditional religion, Muslim.