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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Cameroon > Ghomálá’

Ghomálá’

A language of Cameroon

ISO 639-3: bbj

Population	260,000 (1982 SIL).
Region	West Province, most of Mifi Division (except extreme south and pockets north and west); Mifi Division, Bamendjou Subdivision; east Menoua Division; a pocket in south Bamboutos Division.
Language maps	Southwestern Cameroon, reference number 196 Southwestern Cameroon, Enlarged Area, reference number 196
Alternate names	Baloum, Bamileke-Bandjoun, Bandjoun, Banjoun-Baham, Banjun, Batie, Mahum, Mandju
Dialects	Ghomálá’ Central (Bandjoun, Jo, We, Hom, Yogam, Baham), Ghomálá’ North (Fusap, Lang), Ghomálá’ South (Te, Pa, Dengkwop), Ngemba (Bamenjou, Fu’da, Sa, Monjo, Meka, Mugum). Bameka, Bansoa, and Balessing are subdialects of South Ghomálá’, North Ghomálá’ has 2 subdialects, Central Ghomálá’ 4, and Ngemba 5.
Classification	Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Wide Grassfields, Narrow Grassfields, Mbam-Nkam, Bamileke
Language use	Taught informally to adults since the early 1900s. Adopted by UNESCO in 1960s as one of 9 languages of wider communication for Cameroon. Taught formally in 6 Roman Catholic schools since 1995.
Language development	Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. NT: 2002.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	Traditional religion, Christian.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

DOMCHE-TEKO, Engelbert; HATFIELD, Deborah, authors. 1991. Enquête sociolinguistique sur le ghomala'-jo comme dialecte de référence standard.  

Vernacular Publications

Hwǝ pómmghé: bʉɔ̌ wìm. 1992.

Ntʉmvàm: bʉɔ̌ wûŋ á dyǝ́ bá. 1992.