Bamum language

In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of Bamum language. From its origins to its relevance today, we will explore all aspects related to this topic. We will analyze its impact on society, its implications in different areas and the challenges it poses. Additionally, we will examine the latest trends, discoveries, and milestone advances in Bamum language. Through this journey, we aim to provide a comprehensive and updated vision of Bamum language, in order to enrich our knowledge and understanding of this exciting topic.
Bamum
Shüpamom
ꛀꛣꚧꚳ
RegionCameroon, Nigeria
EthnicityBamum people
Native speakers
420,000 (2005)
Dialects
  • Bapi
Latin script, Bamum syllabary (being revived)
Language codes
ISO 639-3bax
Glottologbamu1253
Page from a manuscript in the Bamum script

Bamum (Shü Pamom [ʃŷpǎˑmə̀m] 'language of the Bamum', or Shümom 'Mum language'), also known as Shupamem, Bamun, or Bamoun, is an Eastern Grassfields language of Cameroon, with approximately 420,000 speakers. The language is well known for its original script developed by King Njoya and his palace circle in the Kingdom of Bamum around 1895. Cameroonian musician Claude Ndam was a native speaker of the language and sang it in his music.

Phonology

Bamum has tone, vowel length, diphthongs and coda consonants.

Vowels

Nchare claims ten diphthongs, only eight of which (excluding /ɔ/ and /o/) have a length distinction. Matateyou shows normal and long examples of all ten vowel qualities. The orthography in angle brackets was based on the General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages as used by Matateyou.

Front Central Back
Unrounded Rounded Unrounded Unrounded Rounded
Close i ⟨i⟩ iː ⟨ii⟩ y ⟨ü⟩ yː ⟨üü⟩ ɯ ⟨ʉ⟩ ɯː ⟨ʉʉ⟩ u ⟨u⟩ uː ⟨uu⟩
Mid e ⟨e⟩ eː ⟨ee⟩ ə ⟨ə⟩ əː ⟨əə⟩ o ⟨o⟩ oː ⟨oo⟩
Open-mid ɛ ⟨ɛ⟩ ɛː ⟨ɛɛ⟩ ɔ ⟨ɔ⟩ ɔː ⟨ɔɔ⟩
Open a ⟨a⟩ a ⟨aa⟩

Consonants

The consonants are displayed as following:

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labial-
velar 		Glottal
Plosive Plain Voiceless p ⟨p⟩ t ⟨t⟩ k ⟨k⟩ k͡p ⟨kp⟩ ʔ ⟨ʼ⟩
Voiced b ⟨b⟩ d ⟨d⟩ ɡ ⟨g⟩ g͡b ⟨gb⟩
Prenasal Voiceless ᵐp ⟨mp⟩ ⁿt ⟨nt⟩ ᵑk ⟨ŋk⟩ ᵑ͡ᵐk͡p ⟨ŋkp⟩
Voiced ᵐb ⟨mb⟩ ⁿd ⟨nd⟩ ᵑɡ ⟨ŋg⟩ ᵑ͡ᵐg͡b ⟨ŋgb⟩
Fricative Plain Voiceless f ⟨f⟩ s ⟨s⟩ ʃ ⟨sh⟩
Voiced β ⟨ɓ⟩ v ⟨v⟩ z ⟨z⟩ ʒ ⟨j⟩ ɣ ⟨gh⟩
Prenasal Voiceless ᶬf ⟨mf⟩ ⁿs ⟨ns⟩ ᶮʃ ⟨nsh⟩
Voiced ᶬv ⟨mv⟩ ⁿz ⟨nz⟩ ᶮʒ ⟨nzh⟩
Nasal m ⟨m⟩ n ⟨n⟩ ɲ ⟨ny⟩ ŋ ⟨ŋ⟩ ŋ͡m ⟨ŋm⟩
Rhotic r ⟨r⟩
Approximant Plain l ⟨l⟩ j ⟨y⟩ w ⟨w⟩
Prenasal ⁿj ⟨nj⟩ ⁿw ⟨nw⟩
  1. ^ allophone of /k/ in coda
  2. ^ a b allophone of /p/
  3. ^ allophone of /l/
  4. ^ allophone of /ɣ/
  5. ^ Matateyou uses the letter for implosive /ɓ/
  6. ^ allophone of /r/
  7. ^ allophone of /j/

Tones

Bamum has four or five tones. Mateteyou's analysis includes a mid tone, while Nchare's analysis includes downstep. Bamum distinguishes between lexical and grammatical tone.

Diacritic Nchare Matateyou
à low low
á high high
ā ― mid
ǎ rising rising
â falling falling
ꜜ downstep ―

References

  1. ^ a b Bamum at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ Kell, Cathy (14 September 2005). "Cameroon: Claude Ndam : Committed To Culture". Cameroon Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 28 August 2015 – via AllAfrica.
  3. ^ Nchare 2012, pp. 39–40.
  4. ^ a b Matateyou 2002, pp. 37–38.
  5. ^ Nchare 2012, pp. 44, 46.
  6. ^ a b Nchare 2012, p. 63.
  7. ^ Matateyou 2002, p. 38.
  8. ^ Nchare 2012, p. 64.

Bibliography

  • Matateyou, Emmanuel (2002). Parlons Bamoun. Paris: L'Harmattan. p. 38.
  • Nchare, Abdoulaye Laziz (2012). The Grammar of Shupamem (PhD dissertation). New York University. ProQuest 996252918.

Further reading


Stub icon

This article about a language spoken in Cameroon is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article about Grassfields Bantu languages is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia