Bamum language

Bamum
Bamum
Shüpamom
ꛀꛣꚧꚳ
Region	Cameroon, Nigeria
Ethnicity	Bamum people
Native speakers	420,000 (2005)
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta-Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Southern Bantoid Grassfields Eastern Grassfields Mbam-Nkam Nun Bamum; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin script, Bamum syllabary (being revived)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	bax
Glottolog	bamu1253
	Page from a manuscript in the Bamum script

Bamum (Shü Pamom [ʃŷpǎˑmə̀m] "language of the Bamum", or Shümom "Mum language"), also spelled Bamun or 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 was a native speaker of the language and sang it in his music.^[2]

Phonology[]

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

Vowels[]

The simple vowels are:

	Front		Central	Back
	Unrounded	Rounded	Unrounded	Unrounded	Rounded
Close	i	y	ɨ	ɯ	u
Mid	e		ə		o
Open-mid	ɛ				ɔ
Open			a

Bamum vowels can be normal or half-long /ˑ/.

Consonants[]

The consonants are:

			Labial	Alveolar	Post- alveolar/ Palatal	Velar	Labialized velar	Labial- velar	Glottal
Plosive	Plain	Voiceless	p	t		k	kʷ	k͡p	ʔ
	Plain	Voiced	b	d		ɡ	ɡʷ	g͡b
	Prenasalized	Voiceless	ᵐp	ⁿt		ᵑk	ᵑkʷ	ᵑ͡ᵐk͡p
	Prenasalized	Voiced	ᵐb	ⁿd		ᵑɡ	ᵑɡʷ	ᵑ͡ᵐg͡b
Fricative	Plain	Voiceless	f	s	ʃ	x
	Plain	Voiced	v	z	ʒ	ɣ
	Prenasalized	Voiceless	ᶬf	ⁿs	ᶮʃ
	Prenasalized	Voiced	ᶬv	ⁿz	ᶮʒ
Nasal			m	n	ɲ	ŋ	ŋʷ	ŋ͡m
Rhotic				r
Approximant				l	j		w

Tones[]

Bamum has five tones^[3]^[4]

Tone	IPA
à	low
á	high
ā	mid
ǎ	rising
â	falling

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Bamum at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
^ Cathy Kell (14 September 2005). "Cameroon: Claude Ndam : Committed To Culture". Retrieved 28 August 2015.
^ https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2007/07023-bamum-report.pdf
^ Nchare (2012).

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[e18-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Bamum at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)

[2] Cathy Kell (14 September 2005). "Cameroon: Claude Ndam : Committed To Culture". Retrieved 28 August 2015.

[3] ttps://www.unicode.org/L2/L2007/07023-bamum-report.pdf

[4] Nchare (2012).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

show v t Languages of Cameroon
Official languages	French English Arabic
Major languages	Bamum Bulu Duala Ewondo Fulfulde Kom Lamnso Medumba
Pidgins	Cameroonian Pidgin English Camfranglais Ewondo Populaire Arabic
Indigenous languages	Arabic Abon Afade Aghem Ambo Bafaw-Balong Bafia Baka Baldemu Bamali Bambalang Bana Bangolan Bankon Basaa Bata Bati Batu Bebele Bebil Beti Bikya Bishuo Bitare Bomwali Bonkeng Bube Bung Buwal Byep Caka Ceve Chamba Leko Cuvok Daba Dek Dowayo Ɗugwor Duli Eman Esimbi Eton Evant Fa’ Fang Fanji Fe'fe' Fut Gawar Gbanu Gbanzili Ghomala' Gidar Glavda Gude Gunu Gvoko Hausa Hdi Hijuk Hina Hya Ipulo Iyive Jimi Jina Kaalong Kabba Kako Kali Kanuri Kare Kasabe Kera Ki Kogo Kol Koma Kpwe Kuo Kutin Kwa’ Kwakum Kwasio La'bi Lagwan Limba Limbum Luo Maɗa Mafa Majera Makaa Malgbe Manenguba Mangbai Manza Maslam Massa Matal Mazagway Mbə’ Mboa Mbudum Mbuko Mbule Mbum Mefele Məgaka Mengisa Menyam Merey Mesaka Mfumte Mofu-Gudur Moloko Mono Mpade Mpumpong Mser Mundang Mungaka Musgu Muyang Nagumi Nda’nda’ Ndai Nen Nga'ka Ngambay Ngiemboon Ngomba Ngombale Ngwe Nimbari Njem Njerep Nkongho Noho Noni North Giziga North Mofu Northwest Gbaya Nyokon Nyong Nzakambay Nzanyi Nzime Oblo Oroko Otank language Pam Papia Parkwa Pinyin Pol Pongo Psikyɛ Rombi Sharwa South Giziga Suwu Swo Tibea Tikar To Tsuvan Tupuri Vame Vemgo-Mabas Vengo Vere Voko Wom Wuzlam Yamba Yambe Yasa Yedina Yemba Yeni Zizilivakan Zulgo-Gemzek Zumaya
Sign languages	Francophone African Sign Language Maroua Sign Language
Immigrant languages	English French Punjabi Spanish German Italian Hindi Hebrew Arabic Chinese Portuguese Japanese Russian Danish Dutch
See also: General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages

Bamum
Shüpamom
ꛀꛣꚧꚳ
Region	Cameroon, Nigeria
Ethnicity	Bamum people
Native speakers	420,000 (2005)^[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta-Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Southern Bantoid Grassfields Eastern Grassfields Mbam-Nkam Nun Bamum
Writing system	Latin script, Bamum syllabary (being revived)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	`bax`
Glottolog	`bamu1253`
Page from a manuscript in the Bamum script