Tommy Bassei's Final Words

Authors

George Tucker Childs, Portland State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Interview

Publication Date

3-25-2008

Subjects

Endangered languages -- Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone -- Social life and customs, Kim language -- Sierra Leone

Disciplines

African Languages and Societies | Applied Linguistics

Abstract

Mr. Bassei thanked Professor for bringing such a project (Documentation of Kim and Bom) to the chiefdom. He said their parents are no longer alive to keep the language going. The present generation is no longer benefitting because they, the parents, either have no time to teach the children or the children are not interested. The children prefer speaking Mende to Kim. I think another contributing factor is the decline of proficiency of speakers. The parents themselves have neglected their duties. The ‘kun/hun mɔɔga’ (drink or come to the breast) slogan of Kim mothers is no longer in existence. He believed that the DKB project is to some extent taking over the duties of parents. Though their level of proficiency cannot be compared to their fathers, yet they are willing to answer any question posed by the DKB team.

Location

Africa, Sierra Leone, Tei

Participants

Tucker Childs (creator, contributor), Baji Gbombi (interviewer)

Languages

Kim, English

ISO 639

kia, eng

Bundle ID

080326_07

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/29791

Citation Details

Childs, George Tucker, "Tommy Bassei's Final Words" (2008). The Kim and Bom Languages of Sierra Leone. 143.
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/29791