Bakole people
Encyclopedia
The Bakole are an ethnic group
of the Republic of Cameroon. They belong to the Sawa
, or Cameroonian coastal peoples. The Bakole speak a language of the same name.
According to Duala
oral history
, the Duala, Bakole, and Limba
come from a single ancestor named Ewale
. From Piti
, northeast of Douala
, Ewale migrated to the coast to the east bank of Wouri River
. The Bakole probably splintered from the Duala proper at some point and made their way west to their current territory. Today, the inhabit the coast directly north of the Bamboko
people, along the Rio Del Rey and south of the Meme estuary in the Ndian division of the Southwest Province. Today, the Bakole farm the fertile volcanic soils of Mount Cameroon
to raise cocoyam
s, maize
, manioc
, oil palm
s, and plantain
s.
The Bakole language is part of the Bantu
group of the Niger–Congo language family. The language is at least partially intelligible with Mokpwe
, the language of the Bakweri
. Individuals who have attended school or lived in an urban centre usually speak Cameroonian Pidgin English
or standard English
. In fact, growing numbers of Anglophone Cameroonian
s today grow up with Pidgin as their first tongue.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
of the Republic of Cameroon. They belong to the Sawa
Sawa
Sawa may refer to:*The Sawa peoples of CameroonLocations*Sawa, Nepal*The Sawa Defence Training Centre of Eritrea*Sawa, Lesser Poland Voivodeship Arts*SAWA, Japanese techno-pop singer*Devon Sawa, Canadian actor...
, or Cameroonian coastal peoples. The Bakole speak a language of the same name.
According to Duala
Duala people
The Duala are an ethnic group of Cameroon. They primarily inhabit the littoral region to the coast and form a portion of the Sawa, or Cameroonian coastal peoples...
oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
, the Duala, Bakole, and Limba
Limba people (Cameroon)
The Limba are an ethnic group of the Republic of Cameroon. They belong to the Sawa peoples, those of the Cameroonian coast.-History and geography:...
come from a single ancestor named Ewale
Ewale a Mbedi
Ewale a Mbedi was the eponymous ancestor of the Duala people of Cameroon . According to the oral histories of the Duala and related Sawa peoples of the Cameroon coast, Ewale hailed from a place called Piti. He and his followers migrated southwest to the coast and settled at the present-day location...
. From Piti
Piti
Pīti in Pali is a mental factor associated with the concentrative absorption of Buddhist meditation. Piti is a very specific joy associated with a state of deep tranquillity...
, northeast of Douala
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...
, Ewale migrated to the coast to the east bank of Wouri River
Wouri River
The Wouri is a river in Cameroon. The river is formed at the confluence of the rivers Nkam and Makombé, northeast of the city of Yabassi. The Wouri then flows about southeast to the Wouri estuary at Douala, the chief port and industrial city in the southwestern part of Cameroon on the Gulf of...
. The Bakole probably splintered from the Duala proper at some point and made their way west to their current territory. Today, the inhabit the coast directly north of the Bamboko
Bamboko
The Bamboko are a Bantu ethnic group of the Republic of Cameroon. They are part of the Sawa ethnic groups, those who live on the coast.The Bamboko probably moved to Mboko, the area southwest of Mount Cameroon, in the early 17th century. Predominant Bakweri and Isubu traditions claim they originated...
people, along the Rio Del Rey and south of the Meme estuary in the Ndian division of the Southwest Province. Today, the Bakole farm the fertile volcanic soils of Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in Cameroon near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako or by its native name Mongo ma Ndemi ....
to raise cocoyam
Xanthosoma
Xanthosoma is a genus of about 50 species of tropical and sub-tropical arums in the flowering plant family, Araceae, all native to tropical America...
s, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, manioc
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, oil palm
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
s, and plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
s.
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
group of the Niger–Congo language family. The language is at least partially intelligible with Mokpwe
Kpwe language
Kpwe is a Bantu language of Cameroon. It is mutually intelligible with Kole, and probably with Mboko as well.There are multiple variants of the name: based on 'Kpwe' , on 'Kpe' , on 'Kweɾi' , as well as Ujuwa, Vambeng....
, the language of the Bakweri
Bakweri
The Bakweri are an ethnic group of the Republic of Cameroon. They are closely related to Cameroon's coastal peoples , particularly the Duala and Isubu.-Early population movements:...
. Individuals who have attended school or lived in an urban centre usually speak Cameroonian Pidgin English
Cameroonian Pidgin English
Cameroonian Pidgin English, or Cameroonian Creole, is a language variety of Cameroon. It is also known as Kamtok . Five varieties are currently recognised:...
or standard English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In fact, growing numbers of Anglophone Cameroonian
Anglophone Cameroonian
Anglophone Cameroonians are the people of various cultural backgrounds who hail from the English-speaking provinces of Cameroon...
s today grow up with Pidgin as their first tongue.