Bamum language - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Shü Pamém language) Benue–Congo language spoken in Cameroon

Bamum
Shüpamom
ꚶꛉ꛰꛲ꚫꛦꚳ
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
Dialects	Bapi
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 known as Shupamem, Bamun, or Bamoun, is an Eastern Grassfields language of Cameroon, with approximately 420,000 speakers. The language is well known for its original script developed by King Njoya and his palace circle in the Kingdom of Bamum around 1895. Cameroonian musician Claude Ndam was a native speaker of the language and sang it in his music.

Phonology

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

Vowels

Nchare claims ten diphthongs, only eight of which (excluding /ɔ/ and /o/) have a length distinction. Matateyou shows normal and long examples of all ten vowel qualities. The orthography in angle brackets was based on the General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages as used by Matateyou.

	Front		Central	Back
	Unrounded	Rounded	Unrounded	Unrounded	Rounded
Close	i ⟨i⟩ iː ⟨ii⟩	y ⟨ü⟩ yː ⟨üü⟩		ɯ ⟨ʉ⟩ ɯː ⟨ʉʉ⟩	u ⟨u⟩ uː ⟨uu⟩
Mid	e ⟨e⟩ eː ⟨ee⟩		ə ⟨ə⟩ əː ⟨əə⟩		o ⟨o⟩ oː ⟨oo⟩
Open-mid	ɛ ⟨ɛ⟩ ɛː ⟨ɛɛ⟩				ɔ ⟨ɔ⟩ ɔː ⟨ɔɔ⟩
Open			a ⟨a⟩ a ⟨aa⟩

Consonants

The consonants are displayed as following:

			Labial		Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Labial- velar	Glottal
Plosive	Plain	Voiceless	p ⟨p⟩		t ⟨t⟩		k ⟨k⟩	k͡p ⟨kp⟩	ʔ ⟨ʼ⟩
	Plain	Voiced	b ⟨b⟩		d ⟨d⟩		ɡ ⟨g⟩	g͡b ⟨gb⟩
	Prenasal	Voiceless	ᵐp ⟨mp⟩		ⁿt ⟨nt⟩		ᵑk ⟨ŋk⟩	ᵑ͡ᵐk͡p ⟨ŋkp⟩
	Prenasal	Voiced	ᵐb ⟨mb⟩		ⁿd ⟨nd⟩		ᵑɡ ⟨ŋg⟩	ᵑ͡ᵐg͡b ⟨ŋgb⟩
Fricative	Plain	Voiceless	f ⟨f⟩		s ⟨s⟩	ʃ ⟨sh⟩
	Plain	Voiced	β ⟨ɓ⟩	v ⟨v⟩	z ⟨z⟩	ʒ ⟨j⟩	ɣ ⟨gh⟩
	Prenasal	Voiceless	ᶬf ⟨mf⟩		ⁿs ⟨ns⟩	ᶮʃ ⟨nsh⟩
	Prenasal	Voiced	ᶬv ⟨mv⟩		ⁿz ⟨nz⟩	ᶮʒ ⟨nzh⟩
Nasal			m ⟨m⟩		n ⟨n⟩	ɲ ⟨ny⟩	ŋ ⟨ŋ⟩	ŋ͡m ⟨ŋm⟩
Rhotic					r ⟨r⟩
Approximant	Plain				l ⟨l⟩	j ⟨y⟩		w ⟨w⟩
Approximant	Prenasal					ⁿj ⟨nj⟩		ⁿw ⟨nw⟩

allophone of /k/ in coda
^ allophone of /p/
allophone of /l/
allophone of /ɣ/
Matateyou uses the letter for implosive /ɓ/
allophone of /r/
allophone of /j/

Tones

Bamum has four or five tones. Mateteyou's analysis includes a mid tone, while Nchare's analysis includes downstep. Bamum distinguishes between lexical and grammatical tone.

Diacritic	Nchare	Matateyou
à	low	low
á	high	high
ā	―	mid
ǎ	rising	rising
â	falling	falling
ꜜ	downstep	―

References

^ Bamum at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Kell, Cathy (14 September 2005). "Cameroon: Claude Ndam : Committed To Culture". Cameroon Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 28 August 2015 – via AllAfrica.
Nchare 2012, pp. 39–40.
^ Matateyou 2002, pp. 37–38.
Nchare 2012, pp. 44, 46.
^ Nchare 2012, p. 63.
Matateyou 2002, p. 38.
Nchare 2012, p. 64.

Bibliography

Matateyou, Emmanuel (2002). Parlons Bamoun. Paris: L'Harmattan. p. 38.
Nchare, Abdoulaye Laziz (2012). The Grammar of Shupamem (PhD dissertation). New York University. ProQuest 996252918.
Pawou Molu, Solange (2018). Problèmes de morphophonologie nominale en Bamun-Shüpamom (PhD dissertation). Paris Cité University.

v t e Languages of Cameroon
Official languages	French English
Major languages	Bamum Bulu Duala Ewondo Fulfulde Kom Lamnso Medumba
Pidgins	Cameroonian Pidgin English Camfranglais Ewondo Populaire Arabic
Indigenous languages	Chadian Arabic Abon Afade Aghem Ambo Babanki 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 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 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

Languages of Nigeria

Official languages

English

National languages

Recognised languages

Indigenous languages

Indigenous languages (grouped by Nigerian state)

Adamawa	Baa Bacama Bali Bata Boga Bura Chamba Leko Daba Daka Dong Fali of Mubi Ga'anda Gaa Gude Gudu Holma Huba Hwana Hya Kamwe Kanakuru Kirya-Konzəl Kofa Koma Kpasam Kugama Kumba Lamang Longuda Margi Margi South Mumuye Ngwaba Nyong Nzanyi Psikyɛ Sukur Taram Teme Tso Vere Waja Wom Yendang Zizilivakan
Akwa Ibom	Anaang Ekit Ibibio Obolo Oron
Bauchi	Ɓeele Bole Bure Ciwogai Dass Dazawa Deno Dikaka Dulbu Galambu Gera Geruma Giiwo Guruntum Jalaa Jarawa Jimi Karekare Kariya Kir-Balar Kubi Kushi Kusur–Myet Kutto Kwaami Labir Longuda Mangas Mburku Miya Pa'a Piya Polci Shiki Siri Tso Warji Zangwal Zumbun
Bayelsa	Izon Epie Urhobo-Isoko Southeast Ijo
Benue	Eggon Igede
Borno	Afade Bura Cibak Cineni Dghwede Glavda Gude Guduf-Gava Gvoko Jara Jilbe Kamwe Kanakuru Lamang Maaka Mafa Margi Margi South Nggwahyi Putai Tera Wandala Yedina
Cross River	Abanyom Efik Mbe Mbembe
Delta	Urhobo-Isoko Ika Izon Isoko Ukwuani Uhrobo
Edo	Afenmai Ishan Bini
Gombe	Awak Bangwinji Bole Dadiya Jara Kamo Ngamo Pero Tangale Tera Tula Waja
Jigawa	Bade Teshenawa
Kaduna	Adara Ahwai Anib Atsam Ayu Berom Bu-Ninkada Bina Bishi Cori Doka Dungu Duya Ekhwa Gbagyi-Gbari Gwandara Gyong Hasha Hausa Hyam Ikulu Jju Kaivi Kinuku Koonu Kuzamani Mada Mala Nghan Nikyob-Nindem Ninzo Numana Nungu Nyankpa Ruma Sambe Sha Shamang T'kurmi Timap TiSeni Tivori Toro Tugbiri-Niragu Tumi Tyap (Fantswam, Gworog, Sholyio, Takad, Tyap Mabatado, Tyecharak, Tyuku) Vono Wachi Zhire
Kano	Ɗuwai Hausa Tikurmi
Kebbi	Cipu Damakawa Hun-Saare
Kogi	Basa-Benue Bassa Nge Igala Nupe Oworo
Kwara	Kakanda Kupa Nupe
Nasarawa	Ake Alumu Basa-Benue Duhwa Eggon Hasha Jili Toro
Niger	Asu Bariba Cipu Gbagyi Gwandara Jijili Kakanda Nupe Pongu
Ondo	Itsekiri Izon Ukaan
Plateau	Barkul Berom Bogghom Bole Cakfem-Mushere Dass Fyam Fyer Goemai Horom Izere Jorto Koenoem Kofyar Kulere Miship Montol Mundat Mwaghavul Ngas Pe Pyapun Rigwe Ron Sha Sur Tal Tambas Tarok Tyap (Takad) Yankam Yiwom
Rivers	Abua Baan Biseni Defaka Degema Ekpeye Eleme Engenni Gokana Ijaw Ikwerre Kalabari Khana Kugbo Nkoroo O’chi’chi Obolo Obulom Odual Ogba Ogbogolo Ogbronuagum Ogoni Okodia Oruma Tee Ukwuani-Aboh-Ndoni
Taraba	Baissa Fali Bete Buru Dadiya Donga Kholok Kpati Laka Lufu Mumuye Nyam Nyingwom Pangseng Rang Tarok Waja Waka Yendang Yoti
Yobe	Bade Bole Ɗuwai Karekare Ngamo Ngizim