Ewondo language

Last updated
Ewondo
Beti
Region Cameroon
Native speakers
(580,000 cited 1982) [1]
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Cameroon
Language codes
ISO 639-2 ewo
ISO 639-3 ewo
Glottolog ewon1239
A.72 [2]

Ewondo or Beti is the language of the Beti people (more precisely Beti be Nanga, the people of the forest, or simply Beti) of Cameroon. The language had 577,700 native speakers in 1982. Ewondo is a trade language. Dialects include Badjia (Bakjo), Bafeuk, Bemvele (Mvele, Yezum, Yesoum), Bane, Beti, Enoah, Evouzom, Mbida-Bani, Mvete, Mvog-Niengue, Omvang, Yabekolo (Yebekolo), Yabeka, and Yabekanga. Ewondo speakers live primarily in Cameroon's Centre Region and the northern part of the Océan division in the South Region.

Contents

Ewondo is a Bantu language. It is a language of the Beti people , and is intelligible with Eton.

In 2011 there was a concern among Cameroonian linguists that the language was being displaced in the country by French. [3]

Distribution

Ewondo (Beti) covers the whole of the departments of Mfoundi, Mefou-et-Afamba, Mefou-et-Akono, Nyong-et-So'o, Nyong-et-Mfoumou (Central Region), and part of Océan Department (Southern Region). [4]

History

The Ewondo language originated in the forests south of the Sanaga river.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Labio-
velar
Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t k k͡p
voiced b d ɡ ɡ͡b
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ ᵑᵐɡ͡b
Affricate voiceless t͡s
voiced d͡z
prenasal ⁿd͡z
Fricative voiceless f s h
voiced v z
prenasal ᶬv
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Lateral l
Rhotic r
Approximant j w

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i u
Close-mid e ə o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Open a

[5]

Alphabet system

Alphabet in Ewondo
Uppercase
A B D Dz E Ə Ɛ F G Gb H I K Kp L M Mb Mgb Mv N Nd Ndz Ng Ny Ŋ O Ɔ P R U T Ts S V W Y Z
Lowercase
abddzeəɛfggbhikkplmmbmgbmvnndndzngnyŋoɔpruttssvwyz
Phonemes
abdd͡zeəɛfɡɡ͡bhikk͡plmm͡bmɡ͡bɱ͡vnn͡dnd͡zŋ͡ɡɲŋoɔprutt͡ssvwjz

The tones are indicated with diacritics on the vowels:

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. Ewondo at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
  3. http://quotidien.mutations-multimedia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2962:patrimoine-la-langue-ewondo-a-son-dictionnaire&catid=58:news&Itemid=415%5B%5D
  4. Binam Bikoi, Charles, ed. (2012). Atlas linguistique du Cameroun (ALCAM)[Linguistic Atlas of Cameroon]. Atlas linguistique de l'Afrique centrale (ALAC) (in French). Vol. 1: Inventaire des langues. Yaoundé: CERDOTOLA. ISBN   9789956796069.
  5. Owona, Antoine (2004). L'orthographe harmonisée de l'ewondo. Université de Yaoundé.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)