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BAMILEKE BAMILEKE BAMILEKE BAMILEKE The Bamileke are a collection of Semi-Bantu (or Grassfields Bantu) ethnic groups most highly concentrated in the western highlands of Cameroon’s West Province, west of the Noun River and southeast of the Bamboutos Mountains and in the Mungo region of the Littoral, Southwest, andCentre Provinces. The Bamileke divide themselves into over 100 individual groups, each under the rule of a chief or fon. Nonetheless, all of these groups are related historically, culturally, and linguistically. With over 2,120,000 individuals in the late 20th century, the Bamileke are the most numerous semi-Bantu group. They speak a number of related tongues from the Bantoid branch of the Niger-Congo language family. These languages are closely related, however, and some classifications identify a Bamileke dialect continuum with seventeen or more dialects. Following Ethnologue classification, we can identify 11 different languages or dialects: - Variants of Ghomala’ are spoken in most of the Mifi, Khoung-Khi, Hauts-Plateaux divisions, the eastern Menoua division, and portions of the Bamboutos division, by 260,000 people. The main fondoms are Baham, Bafoussam, Bamendjou, Bandjoun. - Towards southwest is spoken Fe’fe’ in the Upper Nkam division. The main towns include Bafang, Baku, and Kékem. - Nda’nda’ occupy the western third of the Nde division. The major settlement is at Bazou. - Yemba is spoken by 300,000 or more people in 1992. Their lands span most of the Menoua division to the west of the Bandjoun, with their capital at Dschang. Foukoué is another major settlement. - Medumba is spoken in most of the Nde division, by 210,000 people in 1991, with major settlements at Bangangte and Tonga. - Mengaka, Ngiemboon, Ngomba and Ngombale are spoken in Mbouda division.
DIVISIONS OF WEST CAMEROON ETHNIC GROUPS
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