Aghem
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Grassfields, Ring)
Aghem (also Wum) is a Grassfields Bantu language of the Ring branch, spoken in the Wum area of Cameroon's Northwest Region. Linguistically influential out of proportion to its size: Larry Hyman's extensive work on Aghem (especially the 1979 monograph "Aghem Grammatical Structure") established it as a key reference language for tone, focus marking, and noun-class systems in African linguistics. Notable for an unusual two-tier focus system marked by post-verbal vs. in-situ subject placement, and a tone system with floating tones and downstep.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Aghem
Water
mê'
/meʔ/
Fire
ìmáa'
/imáaʔ/
Sun
kû'
/kuʔ/
Moon
nâa'
/naːʔ/
Star
ntsə́
/ntsə́/
Mother
mò
/mo/
Father
tâ
/ta/
I
à
/à/
You
ò
/ò/
Name
yə́ŋ
/jə́ŋ/
Eye
dyiá
/djia/
Hand
kwô'
/kwoʔ/
Heart
mwâ
/mwa/
Love
nkòŋ
/ŋkoŋ/
Tree
kpa'
/kpaʔ/
House
ndô
/ndo/
Dog
mbî
/mbi/
Cat
gò
/ɡo/
Eat
nîa
/nia/
Drink
nyâa
/ɲaː/
One
mò
/mo/
Two
bɔ́ʔɔ́
/bɔ́ʔɔ́/
Hello
kâa'
/kaːʔ/
Thank you
ŋyaa'
/ŋjaːʔ/
Good
mwâ'
/mwaʔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Grassfields, Ring) languages
| Meaning | Aghem | Meta' | Ewondo | Bulu | Fang | Kaonde | Lingala |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mê' /meʔ/ | mə /mə/ | medzim /medzim/ | medim /medim/ | mendim /mendim/ | mema /mema/ | máí /mai/ |
| Fire | ìmáa' /imáaʔ/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | mujilo /mudʒilo/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ |
| Sun | kû' /kuʔ/ | nyam /ɲam/ | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | zobé /zobe/ | zòp /zop/ | juba /dʒuba/ | mói /moi/ |
| Moon | nâa' /naːʔ/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngon /ŋɡon/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ñondo /ɲondo/ | sánzá /sanza/ |
| Star | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ótéteŋ /ótéteŋ/ | lutanda /lutanda/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ |
| Mother | mò /mo/ | ma /ma/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | bama /bama/ | mamá /mama/ |
| Father | tâ /ta/ | ta /ta/ | tara /taɾa/ | tata /tata/ | tara /tara/ | batata /batata/ | tatá /tata/ |
| I | à /à/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | ma /má/ | ma /má/ | me /me/ | amiwa /amiwa/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ |
| You | ò /ò/ | ò /ò/ | wa /wá/ | wô /wô/ | wè /wè/ | obewa /obewa/ | yo /jo/ |
| Name | yə́ŋ /jə́ŋ/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | jôé /ʒóé/ | jôé /ʒóé/ | djoè /dʒoɛ/ | jizhina /dʒiʒina/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ |
| Eye | dyiá /djia/ | dzi /dzi/ | dzìs /dʒis/ | zis /zis/ | dis /dis/ | jiso /dʒiso/ | líso /liso/ |
| Hand | kwô' /kwoʔ/ | boa /boa/ | woó /woʔo/ | wo /wo/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | kuboko /kuboko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ |
| Heart | mwâ /mwa/ | mu /mu/ | nlem /nlem/ | nlem /nlem/ | nle /nle/ | muchima /mutʃima/ | motéma /motema/ |
| Love | nkòŋ /ŋkoŋ/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | nye'a /ɲeʔa/ | ndzem /ndzem/ | butemwe /butemwe/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ |
| Tree | kpa' /kpaʔ/ | ti /ti/ | elé /ele/ | élé /ele/ | eli /eli/ | kichi /kitʃi/ | nzété /nzete/ |
| House | ndô /ndo/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nzubo /nzubo/ | ndáko /ndako/ |
| Dog | mbî /mbi/ | mbu /mbu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ |
| Cat | gò /ɡo/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | esinga /esiŋɡa/ | esin /esin/ | kapuso /kapuso/ | nyáu /ɲau/ |
| Eat | nîa /nia/ | mé /me/ | di /di/ | dzia /dʒia/ | di /di/ | kuja /kudʒa/ | kolía /kolia/ |
| Drink | nyâa /ɲaː/ | nyo /ɲo/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | kutoma /kutoma/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ |
| One | mò /mo/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | fok /fok/ | fok /fok/ | bok /bok/ | umo /umo/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ |
| Two | bɔ́ʔɔ́ /bɔ́ʔɔ́/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ̀ /bɛ̀/ | bibili /bibili/ | mibale /mibale/ |
| Hello | kâa' /kaːʔ/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mwapoñai /mwapoɲai/ | mbóte /mbote/ |
| Thank you | ŋyaa' /ŋjaːʔ/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ |
| Good | mwâ' /mwaʔ/ | mwa /mwa/ | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | mbamba /mbamba/ | mbeng /mbeŋ/ | kyawama /kjawama/ | malámu /malamu/ |
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