Loma people

Loma
Total population
	309,000[citation needed]
Regions with significant populations
Guinea	144,000
Liberia	165,000
Languages
	Loma, French, English
Religion
	Traditional, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
	Mende people, Kpelle people, Kissi people, Mano people, Vai people, Kono people, Gbandi people

The Loma people, sometimes called Loghoma, Looma, Lorma or Toma, are a West African ethnic group living primarily in the northern mountainous, sparsely populated regions of Guinea and Liberia.^[3]^[4] Their population was estimated at 330,000 in the two countries in 2010.^[5] They are closely related to the Mende people.^[4]

The Loma speak a language in the Southwestern branch of the Mande languages, belonging to the Niger-Congo family of languages. The language is similar to the Kpelle, Mende, Gola, Vai, and Bandi languages.^[3] The Loma refer to their language as Löömàgòòi [lɔːmàɡòːi] or Löghömàgòòi [lɔɣɔmàɡòːi]).^[3] The Loma people, led by Wido Zobo and assisted by a Loma weaver named Moriba, developed a writing script for their language in the 1930s.^[5] This writing script contains at least 185 characters.^[6]

The Mandinka, , and Kissi refer to the Loma as Toma.^[1]^[3] Loma refer to themselves as Löömàgìtì (IPA: [lɔːmàɡìtì], or Löghömagiti [lɔɣɔmaɡiti] in Guinea).^[3] They have retained their Traditional Religion, and resisted the Islamic jihads. The Loma people called the religious conflict with Mandinka people as a historic 'rolling war'.^[7]

The Loma people are notable for their large wooden masks that merge syncretic animal and human motifs. These masks have been a part of their Poro secret rites of passage. The largest masks are about six feet high, contain feather decorations and believed by Loma to have forest spirits.^[8]

The Loma people farm rice, but in shifting farms. They are exogamous people, with patrilineal social organization in matters related to inheritance, succession and lineage affiliations with one-marriage rule. Joint families, or virilocal communities are common, wherein families of brothers settle close to each other.^[9]

The Loma people are also referred to as Buzi, Buzzi, Logoma, Toale, Toali, Toa, or Tooma.^[10]

Loma patronyms[]

Loma surnames	Bamavogui Bassingui Bavogui (Gbavogui) Béavogui Billivogui Bolivogui Dopagui Dopavogui Falivogui Foniwogui Grovogui Guilavogui Goépogui Golovogui Gouavogui Honivogui Inapogui Kalivogui Kebawogui Koévogui Koivogui Koropogui Kovogui Kovoigui Koyavogui Kpakpavogui Lenogui Monpagui Nikavogui Oivogui Onépogui Onipogui Onivogui Pamavogui Papavogui Poévogui Povogui Sakouvogui Sakovogui Sampogui Savogui Sedepogui Sevogui Sivogui Soivogui Solopogui Solovogui Somopogui Soropogui Sorovogui Sovogui Sovoïgui Sowogui Sympogui (Simpogui) Toulouvogui Toupouvogui Zoumanigui

Notable Loma people[]

, Guinean politcian
Louis Lansana Béavogui, former prime minister of Guinea from 1972 to 1984
, Guinean author
, Guinean politician
, former civil servant and Ambassador of Guinea
Joshua Guilavogui, French footballer
K. Guilavogui, Guinean politician
Michel Guilavogui, Guinean footballer
Mohamed Guilavogui, Malian footballer
Morgan Guilavogui, French footballer
Pépé Guilavogui, Guinean footballer
Kortu Momolu, International fashion designer
Balla Onivogui, Guinean trumpet player
, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea
, Guinean actress
, Guinean musician

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Lewis, M. Paul, ed. (2009). "Toma". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. SIL International.
^ Lewis, M. Paul, ed. (2009). "Loma". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. SIL International.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Leopold, Robert Selig (1991). "2". Prescriptive Alliance and Ritual Collaboration in Loma Society (Thesis). Indiana University. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Anthony Appiah; Henry Louis Gates (2010). Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-19-533770-9.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Frank Sherman (2010). Liberia: The Land, Its People, History and Culture. New Africa Press. pp. 211–212. ISBN 978-9987-16-025-9.
^ Anthony Appiah; Henry Louis Gates (2010). Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 552. ISBN 978-0-19-533770-9.
^ Christian K. Højbjerg (2010), Victims And Heroes: Manding Historical Imagination In A Conflict-Ridden Border Region (Liberia-Guinea), in The Powerful Presence of the Past, Brill Academic, ISBN 978-9004191402, pages 273-294
^ Ayodeji Olukoju (2006). Culture and Customs of Liberia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-0-313-33291-3.
^ Currens, Gerald E. (1972). "The Loma Avunculate: An Exercise in the Utility of Two Models". Ethnology. University of Pittsburgh Press. 11 (2): 111–121. doi:10.2307/3773294. JSTOR 3773294.
^ RAMEAU, BnF [1]

External links[]

[ethnologue_toma-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Lewis, M. Paul, ed. (2009). "Toma". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. SIL International.

[ethnologue_loma-2] Lewis, M. Paul, ed. (2009). "Loma". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. SIL International.

[loma-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Leopold, Robert Selig (1991). "2". Prescriptive Alliance and Ritual Collaboration in Loma Society (Thesis). Indiana University. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16.

[AppiahGates2010p84-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b Anthony Appiah; Henry Louis Gates (2010). Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-19-533770-9.

[Sherman2010p211-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b Frank Sherman (2010). Liberia: The Land, Its People, History and Culture. New Africa Press. pp. 211–212. ISBN 978-9987-16-025-9.

[6] Anthony Appiah; Henry Louis Gates (2010). Encyclopedia of Africa. Oxford University Press. p. 552. ISBN 978-0-19-533770-9.

[7] Christian K. Højbjerg (2010), Victims And Heroes: Manding Historical Imagination In A Conflict-Ridden Border Region (Liberia-Guinea), in The Powerful Presence of the Past, Brill Academic, ISBN 978-9004191402, pages 273-294

[Olukoju2006-8] Ayodeji Olukoju (2006). Culture and Customs of Liberia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-0-313-33291-3.

[9] Currens, Gerald E. (1972). "The Loma Avunculate: An Exercise in the Utility of Two Models". Ethnology. University of Pittsburgh Press. 11 (2): 111–121. doi:10.2307/3773294. JSTOR 3773294.

[10] RAMEAU, BnF [1]

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show v t Mandé peoples
Benin	Boko people
Burkina Faso	Bobo people Kpee people Samo people Seenku people
Ivory Coast	Beng people Gban people Dan people Goo people Guro people Jeri people Mwan people Tura people Wan people Yaure people
Ghana	Bissa people Dyula people Ligbi people Wangara people
Guinea	Jakhanke people Kakabe people Lele people Loma people Mogofin people Susu people Yalunka people Zialo people
Liberia	Dan people Gbandi people Mano people Vai people
Mali	Bambara people Banka people Bozo people Duun people Dyula people Jowulu people Malinke people Soninke people Marka people Wangara people
Nigeria	Busa people Kyenga people Shangawa people
Senegal/Gambia	Bafour people Mandinka people
Sierra Leone	Kono people Kpelle people Kuranko people Loko people Mandingo people Mende people
Ethnic groups whose languages are in the Manding group of Mandé are in Bold.

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Total population

309,000^{[citation needed]}
Regions with significant populations
Guinea	144,000 ^[1]
Liberia	165,000 ^[2]
Languages
Loma, French, English
Religion
Traditional, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Mende people, Kpelle people, Kissi people, Mano people, Vai people, Kono people, Gbandi people