Bamum language
| Bamum | |
|---|---|
| Shüpamom | |
| Region | Cameroon, Nigeria |
Native speakers | 420,000 (2005)[1] |
| Bamum syllabary | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bax |
| Glottolog | bamu1253 |
 Page from a manuscript in the Bamum script | |
Bamum (Shüpamom [ʃŷpǎˑmə̀m], "Bamum language"), or Bamun, also in its French spelling Bamoun, is an Eastern Grassfields language of Cameroon, with approximately 420,000 speakers.[1] The language is well known for its original script developed by King Njoya and his palace circle around 1895. Cameroonian musician Claude Ndam is a native speaker of the language and uses it in his music.[2]
Phonology
Bamum has tone, long vowels, diphthongs and coda consonants.
Vowels
The simple vowels are:
| Front | Central | Back |
|---|---|---|
| i y | ɨ | ɯ u |
| e | ə | |
| ɛ | ɔ | |
| a |
Consonants
The consonants are:
| Labial | Alveolar | Post- alveolar |
Velar | Labialized velar |
Labial- velar |
Glottal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| p | t | k | kʷ | kp | ʔ | |
| b | d | ɡ | ɡʷ | ɡb | ||
| mp | nt | ŋk | ŋkʷ | ? | ||
| mb | nd | ŋɡ | ŋɡʷ | ? | ||
| f | s | ʃ | x | ? | ||
| v | z | ʒ | ɣ | ? | ||
| ɱf | ? | ɲʃ | ||||
| ɱv | ? | ɲʒ | ||||
| m | n | ? | ŋ | ŋʷ | ŋm | |
| r l | j | w |
References
- ^ a b Bamum at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Cathy Kell (14 September 2005). "Cameroon: Claude Ndam : Committed To Culture". Retrieved 28 August 2015.
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