Gyele people
Encyclopedia
The Gyele also known as the Kola (Bakola) or Koya (Bakoya), are the pygmies of southern Cameroon
and adjacent areas of Gabon
and Equatorial Guinea
. They live among Bantu patrons, the Mvumbo and Bassa. They speak a dialect of Mvumbo
.
Ethnically, the Gyele are close to other Mbenga people
s such as the Aka and Baka
, but their languages are not close. There are two dialects, Jele which was closely associated with the Mvumbo, and Kola (also pronounced Koya), which was closely associated with the Basaa. Other farming peoples they live with are the Yasa, Batanga, Bakoko, Mvae, Ewondo and Beti.
.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and adjacent areas of Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
and Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea where the capital Malabo is situated.Annobón is the southernmost island of Equatorial Guinea and is situated just south of the equator. Bioko island is the northernmost point of Equatorial Guinea. Between the two islands and to the...
. They live among Bantu patrons, the Mvumbo and Bassa. They speak a dialect of Mvumbo
Gyele language
The Kwasio language, also known as Ngumba / Mvumbo, Bujeba, and Gyele / Kola, is a language of Cameroon, spoken in the south along the coast and at the border with Equatorial Guinea by some 70 000 members of the Ngumba, Kwasio, Gyele and Mabi peoples...
.
Ethnically, the Gyele are close to other Mbenga people
Mbenga people
The Mbenga people, Bambenga, are the western pygmies of Cameroon and Gabon: the,*Aka ,*Baka ,*Gyele,*Kola , and*Bongo....
s such as the Aka and Baka
Baka (Cameroon and Gabon)
The Baka, known in the Congo as Bayaka , are an ethnic group inhabiting the southeastern rainforests of Cameroon, northern Republic of Congo, northern Gabon, and southwestern Central African Republic. They are sometimes called a subgroup of the Twa, but the two peoples are not closely related...
, but their languages are not close. There are two dialects, Jele which was closely associated with the Mvumbo, and Kola (also pronounced Koya), which was closely associated with the Basaa. Other farming peoples they live with are the Yasa, Batanga, Bakoko, Mvae, Ewondo and Beti.
See also
The name Bakola/Bakoya is also used for the pygmies of the Congo–Gabon border regionKola people
The Kola people, Bakola, also known as the Koya, Bakoya, are pygmies of the NE Gabon–Congo border area. They speak the Bantu Ngom language....
.
External links
- Bakola documentation project, DoBeS
- African Forest Peoples Pygmy groups of Central Africa, with photos and sounds