Bamum | |
---|---|
Shüpamom | |
ꛀꛣꚧꚳ | |
Region | Cameroon, Nigeria |
Ethnicity | Bamum people |
Native speakers | 420,000 (2005)[1] |
Dialects |
|
Latin script, Bamum syllabary (being revived) | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | bax |
Glottolog | bamu1253 |
![]() Page from a manuscript in the Bamum script |
Bamum (Shü Pamom [ʃŷpǎˑmə̀m] 'language of the Bamum', or Shümom 'Mum language'), also known as Shupamem, Bamun, or Bamoun, is an Eastern Grassfields language of Cameroon, with approximately 420,000 speakers.[1] The language is well known for its original script developed by King Njoya and his palace circle in the Kingdom of Bamum around 1895. Cameroonian musician Claude Ndam was a native speaker of the language and sang it in his music.[2]