Beboid languages
Encyclopedia
The Beboid languages constitute a branch, or branches, of Southern Bantoid, and are spoken principally in southwest Cameroon
, although two languages (Bukwen and Mashi) are spoken over the border in Nigeria
. The Eastern Beboid languages may be most closely related to the Tivoid
and Momo
groups, though Western Beboid, if it's a group at all, may be closer to Ekoid and Bantu.
Previous research includes a study of noun classes in Beboid languages by Jean-Marie Hombert (1980), Larry Hyman (1980, 1981), a dissertation by Richards (1991) concerning the phonology
of three eastern Beboid languages (Noni, Ncane, and Nsari), Lux (2003) a Noni lexicon and Cox (2005) a phonology of Kemezung.
survey reports have provided more detail on Eastern and Western Beboid (Brye & Brye 2002, 2004; Hamm et al. 2002) and Hamm (2002) is a brief overview of the group as a whole. Eastern Beboid is clearly valid; speakers recognize the relationship between their languages, their distribution is the result of recent population movements, and linguistically they are similar. Western Beboid, on the other hand, is dubious; they appear to have more to do with Grassfields languages
, and there does not appear to be much to link them together, though it remains a working hypothesis (Good, 2009). Blench (2011) classifies Eastern and Western Beboid as separate branches of Southern Bantoid.
Eastern: Cung
, Bebe
–Kemezung
, Naki
, Saari
–Noni (Ncane-Mungong-Noone)
Western ?:
Bikya
(Furu) is perhaps a Beboid language, though this is uncertain.
Ethnologue lists two Nigerian varieties as separate languages, Bukwen and Mashi. However, according to Blench (2011), they are part of the Naki 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...
, although two languages (Bukwen and Mashi) are spoken over the border in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The Eastern Beboid languages may be most closely related to the Tivoid
Tivoid languages
The Tivoid languages are a group of African languages, a sub-family of the Southern Bantoid group, spoken in parts of Nigeria and Cameroon.The majority are threatened with extinction. The largest of these languages by far is the Tiv language for which the group is named, with some 2 million speakers...
and Momo
Momo languages
The Momo languages are a branch of the Grassfields languages spoken in the Western grassfields of Cameroon.The languages are:Ethnologue 16 adds Manka, but that is a Southwest Grassfields language....
groups, though Western Beboid, if it's a group at all, may be closer to Ekoid and Bantu.
Previous research includes a study of noun classes in Beboid languages by Jean-Marie Hombert (1980), Larry Hyman (1980, 1981), a dissertation by Richards (1991) concerning the phonology
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
of three eastern Beboid languages (Noni, Ncane, and Nsari), Lux (2003) a Noni lexicon and Cox (2005) a phonology of Kemezung.
Languages
SIL InternationalSIL 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,...
survey reports have provided more detail on Eastern and Western Beboid (Brye & Brye 2002, 2004; Hamm et al. 2002) and Hamm (2002) is a brief overview of the group as a whole. Eastern Beboid is clearly valid; speakers recognize the relationship between their languages, their distribution is the result of recent population movements, and linguistically they are similar. Western Beboid, on the other hand, is dubious; they appear to have more to do with Grassfields languages
Grassfields languages
The Grassfields or Grassfields Bantu languages, spoken in the Western grassfields of Cameroon, are a branch of Benue–Congo and a sister group to the Bantu languages...
, and there does not appear to be much to link them together, though it remains a working hypothesis (Good, 2009). Blench (2011) classifies Eastern and Western Beboid as separate branches of Southern Bantoid.
Eastern: Cung
Cung language
-References:* Blench, Roger, 2011. . Bantu IV, Humboldt University, Berlin....
, Bebe
Bebe language
Bebe is an Eastern Beboid language of Cameroon. According to Ethnologue, it's 85% lexically similar to Kemezung.-References:* Blench, Roger, 2011. . Bantu IV, Humboldt University, Berlin.*Brye, Edward and Elizabeth Brye. 2004...
–Kemezung
Kemezung language
Kemezung is a Bantoid language of Cameroon. According to Ethnologue, it's 85% lexically similar to Bebe.-References:*Cox, Bruce. 2005. Notes on the Phonology of Kemezung. ms. Yaoundé: SIL...
, Naki
Naki language
Naki, or Munkaf, is an Eastern Beboid language of Cameroon and Nigeria. There is no name for the language; it is know by the villages it is spoken in, including Naki and Mekaf in Cameroon and Bukwen and Mashi in Nigeria, the latter listed as separate languages by Ethnologue, though they are not...
, Saari
Saari language
Saari, or Nsari, is an Eastern Beboid language of Cameroon. According to Ethnologue, it's 84% lexically similar to Ncane, making it very close to the Noni cluster.-References:* Blench, Roger, 2011. . Bantu IV, Humboldt University, Berlin....
–Noni (Ncane-Mungong-Noone)
Western ?:
- AbarAbar languageAbar is a Bantoid language of Cameroon. It is traditionally classified as a Western Beboid language, but that has not been demonstrated to be a valid family....
- FangFang language (Cameroon)Fang is a Bantoid language of Cameroon. It is traditionally classified as a Western Beboid language, but that has not been demonstrated to be a valid family."Fang" is the name of the village the language is spoken in.-References:...
- KoshinKoshin languageKoshin is a Bantoid language of Cameroon. It is traditionally classified as a Western Beboid language, but that has not been demonstrated to be a valid family."Koshin" is the name of the village the language is spoken in.-References:...
- MundabliMundabli languageMundabli is a Bantoid language of Cameroon. It is traditionally classified as a Western Beboid language, but that has not been demonstrated to be a valid family....
: Mundabli, Bu - Mbu’Mbu’ languageMbu’ is a Bantoid language of Cameroon. It is traditionally classified as a Western Beboid language, but that has not been demonstrated to be a valid family. Inasmuch as Western Beboid may be valid, Mbu’ would appear to be the most divergent of its languages....
(the least similar)
Bikya
Bikya language
Bikya is a Bantoid language isolate spoken in Cameroon. It is unknown if this language is still existent. In 1986 four surviving speakers were identified, although only one spoke the language fluently....
(Furu) is perhaps a Beboid language, though this is uncertain.
Ethnologue lists two Nigerian varieties as separate languages, Bukwen and Mashi. However, according to Blench (2011), they are part of the Naki language.