Bamum ( , or ), also known as Shupamem, Bamun, or Bamoun, is an Eastern Grassfields language of Cameroon, with approximately 600,000-700,000 speakers in 2025."The number of speakers was estimated as 420,000 in 2005 (Ethnologue 2024) and given the average yearly Cameroon population growth of 2.5 per cent (Census data 2005) can be estimated as over 600,000 people in 2022." — . 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 monophthongs, only eight of which (excluding and ) have a length distinction. Matateyou shows short and long examples of all ten vowel qualities. The orthography in angle brackets is based on the General Alphabet of Cameroon Languages as used by Matateyou. FrontCentralBack Close Mid Open-mid Open
Consonants The consonants are displayed as following:
LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarLabial-velarGlottalPlosive Fricative Nasal Rhotic ApproximantPlain Prenasal
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 ―
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