Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Bamum language

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Region
  
Cameroon, Nigeria

Writing system
  
Bamum syllabary

Glottolog
  
bamu1253

Native speakers
  
420,000 (2005)

ISO 639-3
  
bax

Bamum language

Language family
  
Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Southern Bantoid Grassfields Eastern Grassfields (Mbam–Nkam) Nun Bamum

Bamum (Shüpamom [ʃŷpǎˑmə̀m] "Bamum language"), or in its French spelling Bamoun, is one of the Benue–Congo languages of Cameroon, with approximately 420,000 speakers. 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.

Phonology

Bamum has tone, long vowels and diphthongs, and coda consonants. The simple vowels are,

The consonants are,

References

Bamum language Wikipedia