Naami

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A language of Cameroon

ISO 639-3
bzv
Alternate Names
Bebe, Yi Be Wu
Population

3,550 (2008 SIL).

Location

North West region: Donga-Mantung division, Misaje subdivision, west of Nkambe, north of Ring Road, Bebe-Jama and Bebe-Jatto villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Beboid
Dialects

Bebe Jama, Bebe Kete, Eastern Garifuna. Member of the Eastern Beboid subgroup. Lexical similarity: 85% with Kemedzung [dmo].

Typology

SVO; 13 noun classes; clause constituents marked by word order; 21 consonant and 9 vowel phonemes; tonal.

Language Use

All domains. All ages. Positive attitudes. Also use Cameroon Pidgin [wes], English [eng], Hausa [hau], Kemedzung [dmo], Nigerian Fulfulde [fuv], Sari [asj], Tigon Mbembe [nza]. Used as L2 by Kemedzung [dmo], Sari [asj], Tigon Mbembe [nza].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 5%. Literacy program started in 2011. Schooling is in English. Bible portions: 2014.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Naami
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Ethnonym: Bebe. Christian, Muslim, traditional religion.