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The Phonetic Structure of Bamum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Extract

The Bamum language is spoken in theFrench mandated territory of the Cameroons around the town of Famboun by about 55,000 speakers.

The observations set out here are based upon a short but intensive period of investigation at the Paris Exhibition in 1937, when, through the kind offices of Professor Henri Labouret, I was able to work with a native craftsman (an embroiderer) from Famboun, Andre Njoya.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1937

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References

page 423 note 1 The writer hopes to publish a summary of this work, together with notes on the grammar and structure of the language, based upon her own work and upon the available material, as a linguistic chapter in a book on the Bamum which Professor Labouret has in preparation.

page 425 note 1 x, the vowel in English “ man ”, about half-way between Cardinal 3 and 4

page 430 note 1 t, = unexploded t.

page 430 note 2 For the replacement of t by r see later.

page 431 note 1 It was found in “ soap ”, which is evidently a borrowed word.

page 433 note 1 Compare Efik kiet “ one “, kierakiet “ one by one “, mbubit “ darkness “, mbub(i)reyo “ night “. The informant transferred this habit into French, frequently using r instead of t for liaison.

page 436 note 1 The substitution of r for t has been noted in both languages (see p. 433).

page 437 note 1 This root occurs in other W. Sudanic and Bantu languages.