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Grassfields Bantu Languages
The Grassfields languages (or Wide Grassfields languages) are a branch of the Southern Bantoid languages spoken in the Western High Plateau of Cameroon and some parts of Taraba state, Nigeria. Better known Grassfields languages include the Eastern Grassfields languages, Bamun language, Bamun, Yamba language, Yamba, Nga'ka language, Bali, and Bafut language, Bafut and the Ring language, Ring languages, Kom language (Cameroon), Kom, Nso language, Nso, and Oku language, Oku. Almost all of these languages are closely related, sharing approximately half of their vocabulary. Classifications The Grassfields languages were previously known as ''Grassfields Bantu'' and ''Semi-Bantu.'' They are sometimes classified on two levels, ''Wide Grassfields,'' which includes all the languages, and ''Narrow Grassfields,'' which excludes Menchum language, Menchum, Ambele language, Ambele and sometimes the Southwest Grassfields languages. These may form a group of their own, which Nurse (2003) calls Pe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western High Plateau
The Western High Plateau, Western Highlands or Bamenda Grassfields is a region of Cameroon characterised by high relief, cool temperatures, heavy rainfall and savanna vegetation. The region lies along the Cameroon line and consists of mountain ranges and volcanoes made of crystalline and igneous rock. The region borders the South Cameroon Plateau to the southeast, the Adamawa Plateau to the northeast and the Cameroon coastal plain to the south. Topography and geology The Western High Plateau lies along the Cameroon line, a series of volcanic swells running from the Atlantic Ocean in the southwestern part of the plateau to the Adamawa Plateau in the northeast. The region is characterised by accidented relief of massifs and mountains. The Western High Plateau features several dormant volcanoes, including the Bamboutos Mountains, Mount Oku and Mount Kupe. The plateau rises in steps from the west. To the east, it terminates in mountains that range from 1,000 metres to 2,50 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bafut Language
The Bafut language, ''Fut'', is an Eastern Grassfields language of the Niger–Congo languages, and related to Bamum. Oral tradition traces dynastic origins to the Ndobo or Tikari areas. It is spoken by people of Bafut Subdivision, Tuba, in the division of Mezam and in the division of Metchum in Northwest Province, Cameroon. The Bafut language was alphabetized by SIL International consultant Joseph Mfonyam in 1982. Since then, some literature has been translated into Bafut, most notably the New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ... in 2000. Writing system References External links * ELAR archive oBafut Ngemba languages Languages of Cameroon {{Cameroon-lang-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bantu Languages
The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu language, Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀), or Ntu languages are a language family of about 600 languages of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern, East Africa, Eastern and Southeast Africa, Southeast Africa. They form the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid languages. The total number of Bantu languages is estimated at between 440 and 680 distinct languages, depending on the definition of Dialect#Dialect or language, "language" versus "dialect"."Guthrie (1967–71) names some 440 Bantu 'varieties', Grimes (2000) has 501 (minus a few 'extinct' or 'almost extinct'), Bastin ''et al.'' (1999) have 542, Maho (this volume) has some 660, and Mann ''et al.'' (1987) have ''c.'' 680." Derek Nurse, 2006, "Bantu Languages", in the ''Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics'', p. 2:Ethnologue report for Southern Bantoid" lists a total of 535 languages. The count includes 13 Mbam languages, which are not always included under "Narrow Bantu". ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noun Class
In linguistics, a noun class is a particular category of nouns. A noun may belong to a given class because of the characteristic features of its referent, such as gender, animacy, shape, but such designations are often clearly conventional. Some authors use the term "grammatical gender" as a synonym of "noun class", but others consider these different concepts. Noun classes should not be confused with noun classifiers. Notion There are three main ways by which natural languages categorize nouns into noun classes: * according to similarities in their meaning (semantic criterion); * by grouping them with other nouns that have similar form (morphology); * through an arbitrary convention. Usually, a combination of the three types of criteria is used, though one is more prevalent. Noun classes form a system of grammatical agreement. A noun in a given class may require: * agreement affixes on adjectives, pronouns, numerals, etc. in the same noun phrase, * agreement affixes on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viti Language
Viti (Biti) or Vötö (Bötö), also known as Nde-Gbite, is a Narrow Grassfields language of Nigeria, spoken in the village of Antere in Taraba State Taraba is a States of Nigeria, state in north-eastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River, which traverses the southern part of the state. It is known as "Nature's Gift to the Nation". Its capital is Jalingo. The state's main Demographics ..., half a kilometre from the Cameroonian border. It is not clear how close or distinct it is from other Grassfields varieties. References Grassfields Bantu languages Languages of Nigeria {{gras-lang-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ndemli Language
Ndemli, or Bandem, is a language of Cameroon spoken primarily in the Nkam department of the Littoral Region; between Yabassi, Yingui and Nkondjock. Recent classifications such as Nurse (2003)Derek Nurse & Gérard Philippson, 2003, ''The Bantu Languages,'' p 227 place it in with the Narrow Grassfields languages, though ''Ethnologue'' does not reflect this. ''Ethnologue'' states that it is "related to Tikar The Tikar (formally known as Tikari, Tigar, Tigari, and Tigre throughout their history) are a Central African ethnic group in Cameroon. They are known to be great artists, artisans and storytellers. Once a nomadic people, some oral traditions t ..." and that "the Bandobo dialect of Tikar is very similar to Ndemli", though it is not clear if Bandobo actually is Tikar. Phonology There are five tones; high, mid, low, rising, and falling. References Grassfields Bantu languages Languages of Cameroon {{SBantoid-lang-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ring Languages
The Ring or Ring Road languages, spoken in the Western Grassfields of Cameroon, form a branch of the Narrow Grassfields languages. The best-known Ring language is Kom language (Cameroon), Kom. The family is named after the old Ring Road (Cameroon), Ring Road of central Cameroon. Languages *Centre: Babanki language, Babanki, Mmen language, Mmen, Kom language (Cameroon), Kom, Mbessa language, Mbessa, Bum language, Bum, Kung language (Cameroon), Kung, Kuk language, Kuk, Oku language, Oku *East: Nso language, Nso (Lamnso') *South: Vengo language, Vengo, Wushi language, Wushi, Bamunka language, Bamunka, Kenswei Nsei language, Kenswei Nsei *West: Aghem language, Aghem, Isu language, Isu, Laimbue language, Laimbue, Weh language, Weh, Zhoa language, Zhoa See also *Wiktionary:Appendix:List of Proto-Ring reconstructions, List of Proto-Ring reconstructions (Wiktionary) References External links *Ethnographic information on the Bum peopl Ring languages, Grassfields Bantu languages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Beboid
The Beboid languages are any of two families of Southern Bantoid languages spoken principally in southwest Cameroon, although two (Bukwen and Mashi) are spoken over the border in southeast Nigeria. The Eastern Beboid languages may be most closely related to the Tivoid and Momo groups. The Western Beboid languages may be closer to Ekoid and Bantu. Previous research includes a study of noun classes in Beboid languages by Jean-Marie Hombert (1980), Larry Hyman (1980, 1981), a dissertation by Richards (1991) concerning the phonology of three eastern Beboid languages (Noni, Ncane and Nsari), Lux (2003) a Noni lexicon and Cox (2005) a phonology of Kemezung. The Largest Language is the Fang Language of Cameroon Languages SIL International survey reports have provided more detail on Eastern and Western Beboid (Brye & Brye 2002, 2004; Hamm et al. 2002) and Hamm (2002) is a brief overview of the group as a whole. Eastern Beboid is clearly valid; speakers recognise the relationship betw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tivoid Languages
The Tivoid languages are a branch of the Southern Bantoid languages spoken in parts of Nigeria and Cameroon. The subfamily takes its name after Tiv language, Tiv, the most spoken language in the group. The majority are threatened with extinction. The largest of these languages by far is the Tiv language for which the group is named; it had 2 million speakers in 1991. The second largest is the Bitare language; it had 110,000 speakers in 2000. Most apart from Tiv are extremely poorly known, and the next best, Esimbi, has not even been demonstrated to be Tivoid. Languages Following Blench (2010), Tivoid languages fall into three branches, though North Tivoid languages are almost unattested. The names in parentheses are dialects per ''Ethnologue'', separate languages per Blench: * Tivoid ** Central Tivoid *** A **** Tiv language, Tiv–Iyive language, Iyive–Otank language, Otank **** Evant language, Evant **** Iceve-Maci language, Ceve (Oliti) *** B **** Caka language, Caka (Bata ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Momo Languages
The Momo languages are a group of Grassfields languages spoken in the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. The languages are: : Meta' (Moghamo)– Ngamambo, Mundani, Ngie (Mengum), Ngoshie, Ngwo (Basa, Konda), Njen, Amasi ''Ethnologue'' 16 adds Menka, but that is a Southwest Grassfields (West Momo) language. Blench (2010) notes there is little evidence that Momo belongs among the Grassfields languages The Grassfields languages (or Wide Grassfields languages) are a branch of the Southern Bantoid languages spoken in the Western High Plateau of Cameroon and some parts of Taraba state, Nigeria. Better known Grassfields languages include the East ... as it has been traditionally classified. (The erstwhile West Momo languages are clearly in the Grassfields family.) Momo may actually be closer to the poorly established Tivoid group, though that may be an effect of contact. See also * Momo word lists (Wiktionary) References *Blench, Roger. 2010. The Momo and 'Western Momo' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southwest Grassfields Languages
The Southwest Grassfields, traditionally called Western Momo when considered part of the Momo group or when Momo is included in Grassfields, are a small branch of the Southern Bantoid languages spoken in the Western grassfields of Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R .... The languages are Manta (Tanka, Batakpa), Balo (Alunfa), Osatu, Busam, Menka– Atoŋ. Several of these have been classified as Tivoid, a position reflected in ''Ethnologue''. Classification Blench (2010) recognises five coordinate subgroups within Southwest Grassfields. ;Southwest Grassfields * Busam * Menka, Atong *Tanka, Bantakpa, Manta * Osatu *Alunfa, Balo Footnotes References *Blench, Roger (2010Classification of Momo and West Momo*Roger Blench (2010The Tivoid Languages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oku Language
Oku (Ebkuo, Ekpwo, Ukfwo, Bvukoo, Kuɔ) is a Grassfields Bantoid language that is primarily spoken by the Oku people of northwest Cameroon, a fondom of the Tikar people. They are a different ethnic group from the Oku people of Sierra Leone. Phonology Consonants Oku has 21 consonant phonemes. The consonant phoneme inventory of the language is shown below. Davis argues that Oku has five nasal phonemes. These are three non-syllabic nasals (, , and ), syllabic A syllable is a basic unit of organization within a sequence of speech sounds, such as within a word, typically defined by linguists as a ''nucleus'' (most often a vowel) with optional sounds before or after that nucleus (''margins'', which are ... , and archiphonemic //N//. does not assimilate to the following consonant. However //N// assimilates before all consonants except , , and , where it becomes . Vowels Davis describes the following vowels in her thesis. Orthography The Oku alphabet has 25 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
