Joseph Ngwa Mfonyam works with the Bafut Language

Bafut language

The 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...

 Association as an SIL International

SIL International

SIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...

 consultant.

Life

Mfonyam studied linguistics at the University of Yaoundé

University of Yaoundé

The University of Yaoundé is a leading university in Cameroon, located in Yaoundé.It was built with the help of France and opened in 1962 as the Federal University of Yaoundé, dropping the "Federal" in 1972 when the country was reorganized....

, where he also got his PhD. in Linguistics in the year 1982. His work dealt with creating an alphabet for the Bafut language. Currently he lives in Bafut with his wife and two of his 5 children.

Work

Mfonyam published several books on the Bafut Language and was the head of the New Testament

New Testament

The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....

translation Project in Bafut, which was finished in the year 2000.