Languages of Cameroon
Encyclopedia
Cameroon
is home to 230 languages. These include 55 Afro-Asiatic languages
, two Nilo-Saharan languages
, and 173 Niger–Congo languages
. This latter group is divided into one West Atlantic language (Fulfulde), 32 Adamawa-Ubangui languages, and 142 Benue–Congo languages (130 of which are Bantu languages
).
English
and French
are official languages, a heritage of Cameroon's colonial
past as both a colony of the United Kingdom
and France
from 1916 to 1960. The nation strives toward bilingualism, but in reality, very few Cameroonians speak both French and English, and many speak neither. The government has established several bilingual schools in an effort to teach both languages more evenly. Cameroon is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations
and La Francophonie.
Most people in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest provinces speak Cameroonian Pidgin English
as a lingua franca. Fulfulde serves the same function in the north, and Ewondo
in much of the Center, South
, and East
provinces.
Camfranglais
(or Frananglais) is a relatively new pidgin communication form emerging in urban areas and other locations where Anglophone and Francophone Cameroonians meet and interact. Popular singers have used the hybrid language and added to its popularity.
There is little literature, radio, or television programming in native Cameroonian languages. Nevertheless, a large number of Cameroonian languages have alphabets or other writing systems, many developed by the Christian missionary group SIL International
, who have translated the Bible, Christian hymns, and other materials. The General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages
was developed in the late 1970s as an orthographic system for all Cameroonian languages.
Sultan Ibrahim Njoya
developed the script
for the Bamum language
.
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...
is home to 230 languages. These include 55 Afro-Asiatic languages
Afro-Asiatic languages
The Afroasiatic languages , also known as Hamito-Semitic, constitute one of the world's largest language families, with about 375 living languages...
, two Nilo-Saharan languages
Nilo-Saharan languages
The Nilo-Saharan languages are a proposed family of African languages spoken by some 50 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers , including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of Nile meet...
, and 173 Niger–Congo languages
Niger–Congo languages
The Niger–Congo languages constitute one of the world's major language families, and Africa's largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. They may constitute the world's largest language family in terms of distinct languages, although this question...
. This latter group is divided into one West Atlantic language (Fulfulde), 32 Adamawa-Ubangui languages, and 142 Benue–Congo languages (130 of which are Bantu languages
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
).
English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
are official languages, a heritage of Cameroon's colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
past as both a colony of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 1916 to 1960. The nation strives toward bilingualism, but in reality, very few Cameroonians speak both French and English, and many speak neither. The government has established several bilingual schools in an effort to teach both languages more evenly. Cameroon is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and La Francophonie.
Most people in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest provinces speak Cameroonian Pidgin English
Cameroonian Pidgin English
Cameroonian Pidgin English, or Cameroonian Creole, is a language variety of Cameroon. It is also known as Kamtok . Five varieties are currently recognised:...
as a lingua franca. Fulfulde serves the same function in the north, and Ewondo
Ewondo language
Ewondo is the language of the Ewondo people of Cameroon. The language had 577,700 native speakers in 1982. Ewondo is a trade language. Dialects include Badjia , Bafeuk, Bamvele , Bane, Beti, Enoah, Evouzok, Fong, Mbida-Bani, Mvete, Mvog-Niengue, Omvang, Yabekolo , Yabeka, and Yabekanga...
in much of the Center, South
South Province (Cameroon)
The South Region is located in the southwestern and south-central portion of the Republic of Cameroon...
, and East
East Province (Cameroon)
The East Region occupies the southeastern portion of the Republic of Cameroon. It is bordered to the east by the Central African Republic, to the south by Congo, to the north by the Adamawa Region, and to the west by the Centre and South Regions...
provinces.
Camfranglais
Camfranglais
Camfranglais, Frananglais, or Franglais is a language from Cameroon, consisting of a mixture of French, English , the creole language Cameroonian Pidgin English and several words borrowed from many dialects spoken in Cameroon...
(or Frananglais) is a relatively new pidgin communication form emerging in urban areas and other locations where Anglophone and Francophone Cameroonians meet and interact. Popular singers have used the hybrid language and added to its popularity.
There is little literature, radio, or television programming in native Cameroonian languages. Nevertheless, a large number of Cameroonian languages have alphabets or other writing systems, many developed by the Christian missionary group SIL International
SIL International
SIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
, who have translated the Bible, Christian hymns, and other materials. The General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages
General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages
The General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages was created in the late 1970s from the basic Latin alphabet as an orthographic system for all Cameroonian languages.Maurice Tadadjeu and Etienne Sadembouo were central to this effort....
was developed in the late 1970s as an orthographic system for all Cameroonian languages.
Sultan Ibrahim Njoya
Ibrahim Njoya
King Ibrahim Njoya , distinguished ruler, intellectual, and inventor, was 17th in a long dynasty of kings that ruled over Bamum and its people in western Cameroon dating back to the 14th century. He succeeded his father Nsangu and ruled from 1886/7 until his death in 1933...
developed the script
Bamum script
The Bamum scripts are an evolutionary series of six scripts created for the Bamum language by King Njoya of Cameroon at the turn of the 20th century...
for the Bamum language
Bamum language
Bamum , or in its French spelling Bamoun, is one of the Benue–Congo languages of Cameroon, with approximately a quarter million speakers. The language is well-known for its original script developed by King Njoya and his palace circle around 1895...
.
See also
- Demographics of CameroonDemographics of CameroonThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Cameroon, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
- General Alphabet of Cameroon LanguagesGeneral Alphabet of Cameroon LanguagesThe General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages was created in the late 1970s from the basic Latin alphabet as an orthographic system for all Cameroonian languages.Maurice Tadadjeu and Etienne Sadembouo were central to this effort....
- Francophone Africa