# Mfumte language

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Not to be confused with [Mbembe language](/source/Mbembe_language).

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

## Orthography

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

### Alphabet

Mfumte alphabet[1] Capital Lowercase IPA Phoneme Allophones A a a a B b b b Ch ch t͡ʃ t͡ʃ D d d d Dz dz d͡z d͡z E e e e, ɛ Ə ə ə ə F f f f G g g g Gb gb gb gb Gh gh ɣ ɣ H h h h ’ ’ ʔ I i i i Ɨ ɨ ɯ ɯ J j d͡ʒ d͡ʒ K k k k Kp kp kp kp L l l l M m m m N n n n Ny ny ɲ ɲ Ŋ ŋ ŋ ŋ O o o o Ɔ ɔ ɔ ɔ Ø ø ø ø P p p p R r ɾ ɾ S s s s Sh sh ʃ ʃ T t t t Ts ts t͡s t͡s U u u u Ʉ ʉ y y V v v v W w w w Wy wy ɥ ɥ Y y j j Z z z z Zh zh ʒ ʒ

### Multigraphs

In addition to the single phonemes, Mfumte has [prenasalized](/source/Prenasalized_consonant), [palatalized](/source/Palatalization_(phonetics)), [labio-palatalized](/source/Labio-palatalization), [labialized](/source/Labialization), and [velarized](/source/Velarization) consonants.

Mfumte multigraphs[1] Capital Lowercase IPA Mp mp ᵐp Mb mb ᵐb Nt nt ⁿt Nd nd ⁿd Nk nk ᵑk Ng ng ᵑɡ Nkp nkp ᵑᵐkp Ngb ngb ᵑᵐgb Nts nts ⁿt͡s Ndz ndz ⁿd͡z Nj nj ⁿd͡ʒ Mf mf ᶬf Mv mv ᶬv Ns ns ⁿs Nsh nsh ⁿʃ Ngh ngh ᵑɣ Nh nh ᵑh Py py pʲ By by bʲ Ky ky kʲ Gy gy gʲ Hy hy hʲ Mpy mpy ᵐpʲ Mby mby ᵐbʲ Nky nky ᵑkʲ Ngy ngy ᵑgʲ Mfy mfy ᶬfʲ Nghy nghy ᵑɣʲ Nhy nhy ᵑhʲ Hwy hwy hᶣ Nhwy nhwy ᵑhᶣ Nghwy nghwy ᵑɣᶣ Pw pw pʷ Kw kw kʷ Gw gw gʷ Fw fw fʷ Hw hw hʷ Nyw nyw ɲʷ Nw nw nʷ Nkw nkw ᵑkʷ Ngw ngw ᵑgʷ Nghw nghw ᵑɣʷ Nhw nhw ᵑhʷ Bw bw /bᶭ/ Mbw mbw ᵐbᶭ

## References

1. Eyoh, Julius A. & Hedinger, Robert (June 2008). ["Mfumte Orthography Guide"](https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/32291). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180316151900/http://www.silcam.org/documents/MfumteOrthographyGuide-u.pdf) 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](https://doi.org/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*](https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/47441). [SIL Global](/source/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*](https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/62481). Vol. 2015-004. SIL Electronic Survey Reports. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- McLean, Greg L. (2014). [*A Sketch Grammar of the Central Mfumte Language*](https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/58664). [SIL Global](/source/SIL_Global). Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- Michael, Nathan. [*Conflict Resolution Systems in Wulí' Culture Donga-Mantung Division, Northwest Region*](https://www.sil.org/resources/archives/54625). [SIL Global](/source/SIL_Global). Retrieved January 3, 2026.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mfumte language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mfumte_language) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mfumte_language?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.