Bamun in Cameroon

2. Status

Status

Official country wide language
Official regional language
Official minority language
Recognised community language
Unrecognised community language

National language

Yes

Indigenous language

No

Administrative units of the country

Based on actual population of the subdivisions where the Bamun people are
present, as of the official 2005 census (2014 C. Hamm).
Location: Centre region: border areas; North West region: Ngo-Ketunjia division, north Lake Bamendjing on Ndop plain; West region: southeast Bamboutos division, north Mifi division, Noun division, Foumban area.

3. State

Documentation: materials

4. Users

Geographical distribution

Users live and dominate in all regions of the country
Users live in one [state/...] of the country
Users live in a cross-border region [state/...] of the country
Users live in separated [states/...] of the country
Users live dispersed across one [state/...] of the country
Users live scattered all over the country

Settlements

Rural
Urban

Administrative units of the country

Based on actual population of the subdivisions where the Bamun people are
present, as of the official 2005 census (2014 C. Hamm).
Location: Centre region: border areas;North West region: Ngo-Ketunjia division, north Lake Bamendjing on Ndop plain; West region: southeast Bamboutos division, north Mifi division, Noun division, Foumban area.

Size / Number of users

Number of users

420000

Source

2005 SIL

Year

2005

Users within total population

2.33000

Less than 10% use the language

PROPORTION

2

Year

2005

Generational use

50

All generations

Educational attainment

Tertiary education

Occupational qualifications

Elementary occupations

Plant and machine operators and assemblers

Craft and related trades workers

Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers

Services and sales workers

Technicians and associate professionals

Professionals

Managers

Language competence

Understand all, speak/sign fluently

Literacy of users

Less than 50% of users with literacy in the language

Digital use

More than 50% digital users of the language

5. Use

Socio-geographic dimension

Geographic scope

International
Supranational
Cross-border (states)
State-wide
Supra-regional cross-border
Supra-regional
Regional cross-border
Regional
Local

Economic dimension

Economic scope

Quinary sector
Quaternary sector
Tertiary sector
Secondary sector
Primary sector
Language not used

Functional dimension

Functional scope

Public domains
Everyday domains
Private domains

Nature

complementary

Functional use in administration

Language use in administration

International level
National level
Regional level
Local level
Auxiliary use
No use

Types of language use

signed / spoken use
written use
digital use

Comments

Originated in the high western grasslands of Cameroon with capital at Foumban, a town in Northwest Cameroon. Class: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo,Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Wide Grassfields, Narrow Grassfields, MbamNkam, Nun. Dialects: None known. Related to Bafanji [bfj], Bamali [bbq], Bambalang [bmo],
and Bangolan [bgj]. Lg Use: Most also use French [fra], especially among the Bamun who live in the Centre and West Regions. A few also use Cameroon Pidgin [wes]. A few also use English [eng], especially among the Bamun who live in the NorthWest Region. A few also use Standard Arabic [arb]. Used as L2 by Ghomálá’ [bbj], Medumba [byv], Mengaka [xmg], Tikar [tik]. Lg Dev: Taught as subject in primary and secondary schools. Grammar. Bible: 1988. Writing: Bamum script, taught in schools until 1930s. Latin script. Other: Muslim, Christian, traditional religion

Ethnoculture

No use
Informal learning
Skills and knowledge
Performing arts
Social practices
Customary law
Traditional medicine
Knowledge and practices
Traditions and expressions

Formal Education

Primary level

Type of language use in education

Medium of instruction
Immersion teaching
Teaching subject
Occasionally used
Symbolically used

Lower secondary level

Type of language use in education

Medium of instruction
Immersion teaching
Teaching subject
Occasionally used
Symbolically used

Public healthcare

Language not used
Translations
Healthcare information
Nursing care (incl. elderly)
Doctor-patient communication
Generally used

Information, communication and cultural production

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Information services
Broadcasting
Video, film
Sound/music recording
Publishing activities
Language not used

Digital sphere

Language not used
Texting and messaging
Social media
Blogs, web pages, e-books
Edutainment products and services
Social media have a localized interface
Localized web search and e-commerce services
Localized operating systems
Machine translation
Top level domain name

Language not used
Texting and messaging
Social media
Blogs, web pages, e-books
Edutainment products and services
Social media have a localized interface
Localized web search and e-commerce services
Localized operating systems
Machine translation
Top level domain name

Legal system

Language use in the legal system

General use
Legal transactions
Court proceedings
Written submissions
Spoken/signed testimonies
Language not used

The World Atlas of Languages is a beta version while data is
being validated. Some inconsistencies may appear. The
displayed data does not commit the Organization.