Language
Mmen language
From Wikipedia
Mmen (autonym: Bafmeng) is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
As a Centre Ring language of Narrow Grassfields, a subdivision of Wide Grassfields within the Southern Bantoid languages, Mmen is part of a cluster including six other languages i.e. Babanki, Bum, Kom, Kuk, Kung and Oku.
Etymology
The name Mmen ([mɛn]) comes from the verb sé mwɛ̀yn [sémɣɛ̀yn] 'to open up thick bush-covered land' and is used by the speakers referring to both their language and their land.
Ethnologue and ALCAM, Atlas Linguistique du Cameroon use the name and spelling Mmen.
Bafumen is the name of the village where the largest number of speakers is found i.e. 30 000 and the name adopted by German colonizers for the area and formerly used for the language. Other villages where Mmen is spoken are Cha’, Yemgeh, Nyos, Ipalim among others.
Phonology
Consonants
Mmen has 27 phonemic consonants.
Vowels
Monophthongs
Mmen has 9 phonemic monophthongs.
Diphthongs
Mmen also has six phonemic diphthongs, all ending in /i/.
Tone
Mmen has 9 phonemic tones. There are three level tones (high, mid, and low) and six contour tones (high-low, high-mid, mid-low, mid-high, low-mid, and low-falling).
This record is provisional: it was compiled from the cited sources but has not yet been checked by an InsideKamer editor.
Sources
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