Bulu language
Encyclopedia
Bulu is the 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. Colonial and missionary groups formerly used Bulu as a lingua franca
in the region for commercial, educational, and religious purposes, though it is today becoming less frequent in those spheres. Dialects include Bene, Yelinda, Yembana, Yengono, and Zaman.
Bulu speakers are concentrated primarily in Cameroon's South Province
, with the largest number at Ebolowa
and Sangmélima
. Some speakers live in the Nyong-et-Mfoumou division of the Centre and the Haut-Nyong division of the East
.
Bulu is a Bantu language. It is a dialect of the Beti language
and is intelligible with Eton
, Ewondo
, and Fang
.
Beti-Pahuin
The Beti-Pahuin are a group of related peoples who inhabit the rain forest regions of Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Though they separate themselves into several individual ethnic groups, they all share a common history and culture. They were...
of Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. The language had 174,000 native speakers in 1982, with some 800,000 second language speakers in 1991. Colonial and missionary groups formerly used Bulu as a lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
in the region for commercial, educational, and religious purposes, though it is today becoming less frequent in those spheres. Dialects include Bene, Yelinda, Yembana, Yengono, and Zaman.
Bulu speakers are concentrated primarily in Cameroon's South Province
South Province (Cameroon)
The South Region is located in the southwestern and south-central portion of the Republic of Cameroon...
, with the largest number at Ebolowa
Ebolowa
Ebolowa is the capital of Cameroon's South Province. It has a population of 79,500 . It is a colonial town and a notable agricultural centre.- Overview :The main crop is cocoa...
and Sangmélima
Sangmélima
Sangmélima is a town on the Lobo River, and also the chief town of Lobo division , in the South Province , Republic of Cameroon, Africa. The language spoken there is French, with Bulu being the second language.-People:...
. Some speakers live in the Nyong-et-Mfoumou division of the Centre and the Haut-Nyong division of the East
East Province (Cameroon)
The East Region occupies the southeastern portion of the Republic of Cameroon. It is bordered to the east by the Central African Republic, to the south by Congo, to the north by the Adamawa Region, and to the west by the Centre and South Regions...
.
Bulu is a Bantu language. It is a dialect of the Beti language
Beti language
Beti is a language, or group of Bantu languages, spoken by the Beti-Pahuin group of people, who inhabit the rain forest regions of Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe....
and is intelligible with Eton
Eton language
Eton, or Iton, is a Bantu language spoken by the Eton people of Cameroon. The exact number of Eton speakers is unknown, although Ethnologue cites 52,000 speakers based on a 1982 estimate by SIL...
, Ewondo
Ewondo language
Ewondo is the language of the Ewondo people of Cameroon. The language had 577,700 native speakers in 1982. Ewondo is a trade language. Dialects include Badjia , Bafeuk, Bamvele , Bane, Beti, Enoah, Evouzok, Fong, Mbida-Bani, Mvete, Mvog-Niengue, Omvang, Yabekolo , Yabeka, and Yabekanga...
, and Fang
Fang language
Fang is the dominant Bantu language of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It is related to the Bulu and Ewondo languages of southern Cameroon. Fang is spoken in northern Gabon, southern Cameroon, and throughout Equatorial Guinea. Shakira used this language in her song, "Waka Waka .".There are many...
.