Encyclopedia
Languages
Some 250 languages spoken in Cameroon, with their speakers and families.
49–96 of 298
- 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.
- 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.
- Chamba LekoChamba Leko is one of two languages spoken by the Chamba people, the other being Chamba Daka. It is a member of the Leko branch of Savanna languages, and is spoken across the northern Nigerian–Cameroonian border.
- Evant languageEvant has and efforts are currently underway to document and preserve it.
- Fut languageThe Bafut language, Fut, is an Eastern Grassfields language of the Niger–Congo languages, and related to Bamum. Oral tradition traces dynastic origins to the Ndobo or Tikari areas.
- Hdi languageHdi (Hedi, Xədi, Tur) is an Afro-Asiatic language of Cameroon and Nigeria.
- Iceve-Maci languageCeve (Iceve), or Iceve-Maci, is a Tivoid language of the Cameroons. The divergent dialects are Ceve proper (Becheve), and Maci (Matchi, Oliti).
- Jagham languageThe Jagham language, Ejagham, also known as Ekoi, is an Ekoid language of Nigeria and Cameroon spoken by the Ekoi people.
- Lagwan languageLagwan (Logone) is a Chadic language spoken in northern Cameroon and southwestern Chad. Dialects include Logone-Birni and Logone-Gana.
- Mundang languageMundang is an Mbum language of southern Chad and northern Cameroon, spoken by the Mundang people.
- Nen languageThe Nen language, Tunen (Banen), is a Mbam language of Cameroon. Maho (2009) considers Aling'a to be a distinct language. Unlike all other Bantu languages, Nen has an SOV word order rather than the standard Bantu SVO word order.
- Nso languageNso (Lamnso, Lamnsɔ’) is the Grassfields language of the Nso people of western Cameroon. A few may remain in Nigeria. It has ten major noun classes. The ISO 639-3 code is lns. Nso is spoken by over 100,000 people.
- Tanga languageTanga, or Noho, is a Bantu language of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Limba speakers report some degree of mutual intelligibility and call it "Old Malimba".
- Tupuri languageTupuri (autonym: jäāk Tüpürï), sometimes rendered as Toupouri, is a language mostly spoken in the Mayo-Kebbi Est Region of southern Chad and in small parts of northern Cameroon. It is an Mbum language spoken by the Tupuri people with approximately 352,000 speakers.
- Yemba languageYɛmba or Yemba, also Yémba or Bamiléké Dschang, is a major Bamileke language in West Region of Cameroon. It was approximately spoken by 500,000 or so people in the country in 2023.
- Zizilivakan languageZizilivakan (Ziziliveken, Ziliva, Àmzírív), also known as Fali of Jilbu and Ulan Mazhilvən, is a Chadic language spoken in Cameroon in Far North Province and neighboring Nigeria. It is one of several in the area that go by the name Fali.
- Adamawa FulfuldeAdamawa Fulfulde is a variety of the Fula language. It is spoken mainly in Cameroon but also by significant communities residing in Nigeria, Chad, and Sudan by Fulani pastoralists across the Sahel.
- AkooseL’akoose (ou akosi, bakossi, bekoose, koose, kosi, nkoosi et nkosi) est une langue bantoue parlée au Cameroun dans la région du Sud-Ouest, le département du Koupé-Manengouba, les arrondissements de Bangem, Nguti et Tombel ; dans la région du Littoral, également dans le département du Moungo, l'arrondissement de Manjo, par les populations bakossi.
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.- 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.
- Cameroonian Pidgin EnglishCameroonian Pidgin English, or Cameroonian Creole (Cameroon Pidgin: Wes Cos, from West Coast), is a language variety of Cameroon also known as Kamtok (from 'Cameroon-talk') which, like other varieties of West African Pidgin English originated as a language of contact between colonizing British and African slave traders for the transatlantic slave trade.
- Feʼfeʼ languageFeʼfeʼ or commonly Feʼefeʼe, also known as Nufi or Bafang (Fe'fe': Nufi), is a Bamileke language spoken in Cameroon, around the town of Bafang. It was one of the four languages selected for option at the Collège Libermann at Douala (along with Duala, Basaa and Ghɔmálá').
- Ghomalaʼ languageGhomala or Ghɔmáláʼ is a major Bamileke language spoken in Cameroon, originally in the following departments of the West region:
- Glavda languageGlavda (also known as Galavda, Gelebda, Glanda, Guelebda, Galvaxdaxa) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Borno State, Nigeria and in Far North Province, Cameroon.
- Jimi languageJimi (Djimi), also known as Jimjimən and 'Um Falin, is a Chadic language spoken in Cameroon in Far North Province on the Nigerian border in and around Bourrha. Dialects are Djimi, Jimo, Malabu, Wadi, and Zumo.
- Karang languageKarang language (also called Mbum East or Lakka) is an Mbum language of Cameroon and Chad.
- Majera languageMajera (Mazera) is a minor Afro-Asiatic language of Chad and Cameroon.
- Merey languageMerey is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Dugur is a dialect.
- Metaʼ languageMetaʼ is a Grassfields language of Cameroon. The Moghamo variety is perhaps divergent enough to be considered a separate language. Ngamambo is 88% similar lexically to Meta’, and often is considered separate.
- Mofu-Gudur languageMofu-Gudur, or South Mofu, is a Chadic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Dialects are Dimeo, Gudur, Massagal, Mokong, Njeleng, and Zidim.
- Mser languageMser (Msər), or Kousseri (Kuseri), is a moribund Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon and southwestern Chad. Dialects are Gawi, Houlouf, Kabe, Kalo, Mser (Kuseri).
- Ngomba languageNgomba, Nda’a or Nguemba, is a Grassfield language of Cameroon.
- Pana languagePana is an Mbum language of the Central African Republic. A few thousand speak it in southern Chad and northern Cameroon. A dialect in Cameroon, Man, may be a separate language. Blench (2004) leaves Pondo and Gonge in CAR unclassified within the Mbum languages.
- Pinyin languagePinyin is a Grassfields language spoken by some 27,000 people in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
- Saari languageSaari, 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. It is spoken in the Misaje Sub-Division, Donga-Mantung Division, North West Region.
- Sharwa languageSharwa (also known as Tchevi, Sherwin, Sarwaye) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Cameroon in Far North Province. There are signs of language shift to Fulfulde.
- Tikar languageTikar (also called Tigé, Tigré or Tikari) is a Northern Bantoid, semi-Bantu language that is spoken in Cameroon by the Tikar people, as well as by the Bedzan Pygmies, who speak their own dialect of the language.
- Vame languageVame or Pelasla is an Afroasiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon.
- Yasa languageIyasa (Yasa, Yassa) is a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea by the Iyasa and Ndowe coastal fishing peoples. It is also spoken by Pygmies, perhaps Babongo, in Gabon. Approximately 3,000 people speak Iyasa, though some note that this number may be an overestimation.
- Yeni languageThe Yeni language is an extinct language of Cameroon, formerly spoken around Djeni Mountain in the Nyalang area. All that remains of the language, apparently, is a song remembered by some Sandani speakers.
- Zulgo-Gemzek languageZulgo-Gemzek is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon. Dialects are Gemzek, Mineo, and Zulgo (Zəlgwa). Blench (2006) considers Zəlgwa-Minew and Gemzek to be distinct languages.
- Ambele languageAmbele is a Grassfields 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.
- 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.
- Bambalang languageThe Bambalang language, also called Chrambo (Chirambo, Tshirambo) or Mbawyakum (Mboyakum), is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon.
- Bebe languageBebe, or Naami, is an Eastern Beboid language of Cameroon. According to Ethnologue, it's 85% lexically similar to Kemezung.
- Bebil languageBebil (Gbïgbïl) is a Bantu language of Cameroon. It is mutually intelligible with other Beti dialects.
