Mfumte language

Mfumte (Nfumte) is a Grassfields Bantu language of Cameroon. It is not clear if the four varieties spoken by ethnic Mfumte—Ndaktup, Kwaja, Fum and Mfumte proper—are mutually intelligible or distinct languages; ability to communicate may be either due to inherent intelligibility or to bilingualism, while Fum and Mfumte may simply be the Nigerian and Cameroonian names for the same language.

Orthography

The Mfumte alphabet has 40 letters, with 30 consonants and 10 vowels.^[1]

Alphabet

Multigraphs

In addition to the single phonemes, Mfumte has prenasalized, palatalized, labio-palatalized, labialized, and velarized consonants.

References

1. ^ Eyoh, Julius A. & Hedinger, Robert (June 2008). "Mfumte Orthography Guide". Archived March 16, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 3, 2026.

Further reading

• Baeke, Viviane (1984). "Les objets rituels des sociétés initiatiques chez les Wuli du Cameroun occidental" [The Ritual Objects of Wuli Initiatory Societies (Western Cameroon)] (in French). Systèmes de pensée en Afrique noire. 8. doi:10.4000/span.1061
• Mbongue, Joseph; Grant, Caroline; Griffin, Margie; Seguin, Lawrence M. (September 1994). A rapid appraisal survey of Dzodinka (ALCAM 904) and Mfumte (ALCAM 905), Donga Mantung Division, Northwest Province. SIL Global. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
• Eyoh, Julius A. & Moveh Lenda, Oliver (2007). Nwà' tɔtɔ́mə̀ A a, B b, Ch ch mfí̵ti (in en, Mfumte)
• McLean, Greg L. (2015). A Recorded Text Survey of the Mfumte Speech Varieties and Rapid Appraisal Survey of Dzodinka. Vol. 2015-004. SIL Electronic Survey Reports. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
• McLean, Greg L. (2014). A Sketch Grammar of the Central Mfumte Language. SIL Global. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
• Michael, Nathan. Conflict Resolution Systems in Wulí' Culture Donga-Mantung Division, Northwest Region. SIL Global. Retrieved January 3, 2026.