Bulu
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Beti)
Bulu is a Beti-Pahuin Bantu language of southern Cameroon, mutually intelligible with Ewondo and Fang. It served as a major lingua franca in colonial-era Cameroon thanks to early Presbyterian translation work, particularly the American Presbyterian Mission's 1881 Bible projects in Ebolowa. Today Bulu is overshadowed by French and Cameroonian Pidgin English in commerce, but remains a key vehicle of southern Cameroonian identity, oral epic (mvet), and Christian liturgy.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Bulu
Water
medim
/medim/
Fire
ndoa
/ndoa/
Sun
zobé
/zobe/
Moon
ngon
/ŋɡon/
Mother
nyia
/ɲia/
Father
tata
/tata/
Eat
dzia
/dʒia/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
Love
nye'a
/ɲeʔa/
Heart
nlem
/nlem/
Tree
élé
/ele/
House
nda
/nda/
Dog
mvu
/mvu/
Cat
esinga
/esiŋɡa/
Hand
wo
/wo/
Eye
zis
/zis/
Hello
mbolo
/mbolo/
Thank you
akiba
/akiba/
One
fok
/fok/
Good
mbamba
/mbamba/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Beti) languages
| Meaning | Bulu | Ewondo | Fang | Kikongo | Lingala | Luba-Kasai | Meta' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | medim /medim/ | medzim /medzim/ | mendim /mendim/ | maza /maza/ | máí /mai/ | mâyi /maːji/ | mə /mə/ |
| Fire | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | tiya /tija/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | kapia /kapia/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ |
| Sun | zobé /zobe/ | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | zòp /zop/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | mói /moi/ | dîba /diːba/ | nyam /ɲam/ |
| Moon | ngon /ŋɡon/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | sánzá /sanza/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ |
| Mother | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | mama /mama/ | mamá /mama/ | mâmu /maːmu/ | ma /ma/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tara /taɾa/ | tara /tara/ | tata /tata/ | tatá /tata/ | tâtu /taːtu/ | ta /ta/ |
| Eat | dzia /dʒia/ | di /di/ | di /di/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kolía /kolia/ | kudia /kudia/ | mé /me/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | ku nua /ku nua/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | kunua /kunua/ | nyo /ɲo/ |
| Love | nye'a /ɲeʔa/ | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | ndzem /ndzem/ | zola /zola/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ |
| Heart | nlem /nlem/ | nlem /nlem/ | nle /nle/ | ntima /ntima/ | motéma /motema/ | mucima /mut͡ʃima/ | mu /mu/ |
| Tree | élé /ele/ | elé /ele/ | eli /eli/ | nti /nti/ | nzété /nzete/ | mutshi /mut͡ʃi/ | ti /ti/ |
| House | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nzo /nzo/ | ndáko /ndako/ | nzubu /nzubu/ | nda /nda/ |
| Dog | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbu /mbu/ |
| Cat | esinga /esiŋɡa/ | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | esin /esin/ | nyau /ɲau/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | nyao /ɲao/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ |
| Hand | wo /wo/ | woó /woʔo/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | koko /koko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | tshianza /t͡ʃianza/ | boa /boa/ |
| Eye | zis /zis/ | dzìs /dʒis/ | dis /dis/ | disu /disu/ | líso /liso/ | dîsu /diːsu/ | dzi /dzi/ |
| Hello | mbolo /mbolo/ | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mboté /mbote/ | mbóte /mbote/ | moyo /mojo/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ |
| Thank you | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | matondo /matondo/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ |
| One | fok /fok/ | fok /fok/ | bok /bok/ | mosi /mosi/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | umue /umue/ | mɔ /mɔ/ |
| Good | mbamba /mbamba/ | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | mbeng /mbeŋ/ | mbote /mbote/ | malámu /malamu/ | bimpe /bimpe/ | mwa /mwa/ |
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