Cameroon Languages: Difference between revisions

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==Description==
==Description==
The population is composed of Sudanic-speaking people in the north (Fulani, Sao and others) and Bantu-speaking groups, mainly Bamileke, Beti, Bulu, Tikar, Bassa, Douala, in the rest of the country. The official languages are French and English.<ref name="profile">The Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Family History Record Profile: Cameroon,” Word document, private files of the FamilySearch Content Strategy Team, 1999.</ref>
Both '''English and French''' are official languages, although French is by far the most understood language (more than 80%). '''German''', the language of the original colonizers, has long since been displaced by French and English. '''Cameroonian Pidgin English''' is the lingua franca in the formerly British-administered territories. A mixture of English, French, and Pidgin called '''Camfranglais''' has been gaining popularity in urban centers since the mid-1970s. The government encourages bilingualism in English and French, and as such, official government documents, new legislation, ballots, among others, are written and provided in both languages. As part of the initiative to encourage bilingualism in Cameroon, six of the eight universities in the country are entirely bilingual.
 
In addition to the colonial languages, there are approximately 250 other languages spoken by nearly 20 million Cameroonians. It is because of this that Cameroon is considered one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world.
<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Cameroon," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon#Languages, accessed 31 March 2021.</ref>


==Word List(s)==
==Word List(s)==

Revision as of 15:44, 31 March 2021

Cameroon Wiki Topics
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Cameroon Background
Local Research Resources

Description[edit | edit source]

Both English and French are official languages, although French is by far the most understood language (more than 80%). German, the language of the original colonizers, has long since been displaced by French and English. Cameroonian Pidgin English is the lingua franca in the formerly British-administered territories. A mixture of English, French, and Pidgin called Camfranglais has been gaining popularity in urban centers since the mid-1970s. The government encourages bilingualism in English and French, and as such, official government documents, new legislation, ballots, among others, are written and provided in both languages. As part of the initiative to encourage bilingualism in Cameroon, six of the eight universities in the country are entirely bilingual.

In addition to the colonial languages, there are approximately 250 other languages spoken by nearly 20 million Cameroonians. It is because of this that Cameroon is considered one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. [1]

Word List(s)[edit | edit source]

For word list and help researching in Cameroonian records, see:

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Language Aids and Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Wikipedia contributors, "Cameroon," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon#Languages, accessed 31 March 2021.