Encyclopedia
Languages
Some 250 languages spoken in Cameroon, with their speakers and families.
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- Baba languageThe Baba language, Supapyak’, is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
- Babanki languageBabanki, or Kejom (Babanki: Kəjòm), is a Bantoid language that is spoken by the Babanki people of the Western Highlands of Cameroon.
- Baca languageThe Baca language, Nubaca, is a Bantu language of Cameroon spoken in the village of Bongo, in the Bokito subdivision.
- Bafaw languageBafaw-Balong is a Bantu language of Cameroon. There are two divergent varieties, Fo’ (Bafaw, Bafo, Bafowu, Afo, Nho, Lefo’) and Long (Balong, Balon, Balung, Nlong, Valongi, Bayi, Bai), which are sometimes considered distinct languages.
- Bafaw-Balong languageBafaw-Balong is a Bantu language of Cameroon. There are two divergent varieties, Fo’ (Bafaw, Bafo, Bafowu, Afo, Nho, Lefo’) and Long (Balong, Balon, Balung, Nlong, Valongi, Bayi, Bai), which are sometimes considered distinct languages.
- Bafia languageBafia or Kpaʼ is a Bantu language spoken by 70,000 Bafia people in Cameroon according to 2005 figures. It is used in the Bafia subdivision of the Mbam and Inoubou Division in Center Province in southwestern Cameroon. Speakers refer to the language as Rɨkpaʼ and to themselves as Ɓəkpaʼ (Bekpak).
- Baka languageBaka (also called Be-bayaga, Be-bayaka, and Bibaya de L’est) is a dialect cluster of Ubangian languages spoken by the Baka Pygmies of Cameroon and Gabon. Ethnically, the people are closely related to the Aka, collectively known as the Mbenga (Bambenga).
- Bakaka languageThe Manenguba languages, also known as the Mbo cluster, are a group of closely related Bantu languages spoken on and around the Manenguba mountain range in south-western Cameroon.
- BakoleLe bakole (ou bakolle, bamusso, kole) est une langue bantoïde méridionale parlée au Sud-Ouest du Cameroun, au sud de l'estuaire de la Meme, dans le département du Ndian, autour de Bamusso.
- Baldemu languageBaldemu, or Mbazlam, is a nearly extinct Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Baldemu is spoken in Bogo commune, Diamaré department, Far North Region by only 5 speakers as of 2012. Speakers have been shifting to Fulfulde.
- Balo languageBalo is a Grassfields language of Cameroon. Alunfa is distinct and perhaps should be considered a different language.
- Balong languageBafaw-Balong is a Bantu language of Cameroon. There are two divergent varieties, Fo’ (Bafaw, Bafo, Bafowu, Afo, Nho, Lefo’) and Long (Balong, Balon, Balung, Nlong, Valongi, Bayi, Bai), which are sometimes considered distinct languages.
- Bamali languageThe Bamali language, Chopechop, is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
- Bambalang languageThe Bambalang language, also called Chrambo (Chirambo, Tshirambo) or Mbawyakum (Mboyakum), is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
- Bamukumbit languageBamukumbit (Mangkong) is a Grassfields Bantu language spoken in Cameroon.
Bamum languageBamum (Shü Pamom 'language of the Bamum', or Shümom 'Mum language'), also known as Shupamem, Bamun, or Bamoun, is an Eastern Grassfields language of Cameroon, with approximately 600,000-700,000 speakers in 2025.- Bana languageBana is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Dialects include Gamboura and Gili.
- Bangandu languageBangando and Ngombe constitute a Gbaya language of Cameroon and CAR.
- Bangolan languageBangolan (sɔ́ŋnə́ ŋgbáŋlɛ) is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
- Bankon languageBankon (Abo, Abaw, Bo, Bon) is a Bantu language spoken in the Moungo department of the Littoral Province of southwestern Cameroon. It has a lexical similarity of 86% with Rombi which is spoken in the nearby Meme department of Southwest Province.
- Basaa languageBasaa (also rendered Bassa, Basa, Bissa), or Mbene, is a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon by the Basaa people. It is spoken by about 300,000 people in the Centre and Littoral regions.
Bata languageBata (Gbwata) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Nigeria in Adamawa State in the Numan, Song, Fufore and Jimeta gire Yola maiha Demsa lamorde LGAs, and in Cameroon in North Province along the border with Nigeria.- Bati languageLe bati (ou bati ba ngong, bati de brousse) est une langue bantoue parlée au Cameroun, dans quatre villages (Kelleng, Mbougué, Nyambat) dans l'arrondissement de Nyanon, le département de la Sanaga-Maritime (région du Littoral), également dans le département du Mbam-et-Inoubou (région du Centre).
- Beba languageBeba’ (Bebadji, Mubadji) is a Grassfields Bantu language spoken in Cameroon.
- Bebe languageBebe, or Naami, is an Eastern Beboid language of Cameroon. According to Ethnologue, it's 85% lexically similar to Kemezung.
- Bebele languageBebele (Bamvele, Bëbëlë) is a Bantu language of Cameroon. It is mutually intelligible with other Beti dialects such as Ewondo and Fang.
- Bebil languageBebil (Gbïgbïl) is a Bantu language of Cameroon. It is mutually intelligible with other Beti dialects.
- Beezen languageBeezen (Bèèzen, Bɛɛzɛn) is a Plateau language of Cameroon.
- Bekwil languageBekwel (Bekwil) is a Bantu language of the Republic of the Congo. There are some 10,000 speakers there, with a quarter that number across the border in Gabon, and perhaps a similar on the opposite side in Cameroon. It is rather close to Nzime (Koonzime).
- Bikya languageBikya (also known as Furu) is a potentially extinct Southern Bantoid language spoken in Cameroon. It is one of the three, or four, Furu languages. In 1986 four surviving speakers were identified, although only one (a man in his seventies) spoke the language fluently.
- Bishuo languageBishuo (Bishùo) is an extinct southern Bantoid language of Cameroon.
- Bitare languageBitare (Njwande, Yukutare) is a Tivoid language of Nigeria and Cameroon.
- Bokyi languageBokyi (Boki, Nfua, Nki, Okii, Osikom, Osukam, Uki, Vaaneroki) is a regionally important Bendi language spoken by the Bokyi people of northern Cross River State, Nigeria.
- Bomwali languageBomwali is a Bantu language of the Republic of the Congo and Cameroon.
- Bonkeng languageBonkeng is a poorly known Bantu language of Cameroon.
- Bulu languageBulu is a Bantu language of the Bulu people of Cameroon. The language had 174,000 native speakers in 1982, with some 800,000 second language speakers in 1991. Its dialects include Bene, Yelinda, Yembana, Yengono, and Zaman.
- Bum languageBum is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
- Bung languageThe Bung language is a moribund language of Cameroon remembered by three people in 1995 at the village of Boung on the Adamawa Plateau. It is remembered best by one speaker who learned the language at a young age, though it is not his mother tongue.
- Busam languageBusam is a Grassfields language of Cameroon.
- Busuu languageBusuu (Bùsùù) is an unclassified Southern Bantoid language of Cameroon. According to Ethnologue it is extinct. Busuu is an endangered language. In 1986, only eight speakers were left of Busuu.
- Buu languageBuu (also spelled Bu) is a Southern Bantoid language of Cameroon. It is closely related to Mundabli.
- Buwal languageBuwal, also known as Ma Buwal, Bual, or Gadala, is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Cameroon in Far North Province in and around Gadala.
- Byep languageByep, or (North) Makaa, is a Bantu language of Cameroon. Although spoken by the Makaa people and closely related, it is not intelligible with South Makaa.
