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
31 core words in Bulu
Water
medim
/medim/
Fire
ndoa
/ndoa/
Sun
zobé
/zobe/
Moon
ngon
/ŋɡon/
Star
ôtɛtɛ
/ótɛtɛ/
Mother
nyia
/ɲia/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
ma
/má/
You
wô
/wô/
Name
jôé
/ʒóé/
Eye
zis
/zis/
Hand
wo
/wo/
Heart
nlem
/nlem/
Love
nye'a
/ɲeʔa/
Tree
élé
/ele/
House
nda
/nda/
Dog
mvu
/mvu/
Cat
esinga
/esiŋɡa/
Eat
dzia
/dʒia/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
One
fok
/fok/
Two
bɛ̌
/bɛ̌/
Hello
mbolo
/mbolo/
Thank you
akiba
/akiba/
Good
mbamba
/mbamba/
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Beti) languages
| Meaning | Bulu | Ewondo | Fang | Lingala | Meta' | Kikongo | Luba-Kasai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | medim /medim/ | medzim /medzim/ | mendim /mendim/ | máí /mai/ | mə /mə/ | maza /maza/ | mâyi /maːji/ |
| Fire | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | tiya /tija/ | kapia /kapia/ |
| Sun | zobé /zobe/ | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | zòp /zop/ | mói /moi/ | nyam /ɲam/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | dîba /diːba/ |
| Moon | ngon /ŋɡon/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | sánzá /sanza/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ |
| Star | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ótéteŋ /ótéteŋ/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | mbwetete /mbwetete/ | mutoto /mutoto/ |
| Mother | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | mamá /mama/ | ma /ma/ | mama /mama/ | mâmu /maːmu/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | tara /taɾa/ | tara /tara/ | tatá /tata/ | ta /ta/ | tata /tata/ | tâtu /taːtu/ |
| I | ma /má/ | ma /má/ | me /me/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | mono /mono/ | meme /meme/ |
| You | wô /wô/ | wa /wá/ | wè /wè/ | yo /jo/ | ò /ò/ | ngeye /ŋɡeje/ | wewe /wewe/ |
| Name | jôé /ʒóé/ | jôé /ʒóé/ | djoè /dʒoɛ/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | nkumbu /nkumbu/ | dîna /diːna/ |
| Eye | zis /zis/ | dzìs /dʒis/ | dis /dis/ | líso /liso/ | dzi /dzi/ | disu /disu/ | dîsu /diːsu/ |
| Hand | wo /wo/ | woó /woʔo/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | boa /boa/ | koko /koko/ | tshianza /tʃianza/ |
| Heart | nlem /nlem/ | nlem /nlem/ | nle /nle/ | motéma /motema/ | mu /mu/ | ntima /ntima/ | mucima /mutʃima/ |
| Love | nye'a /ɲeʔa/ | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | ndzem /ndzem/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | zola /zola/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ |
| Tree | élé /ele/ | elé /ele/ | eli /eli/ | nzété /nzete/ | ti /ti/ | nti /nti/ | mutshi /mutʃi/ |
| House | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | ndáko /ndako/ | nda /nda/ | nzo /nzo/ | nzubu /nzubu/ |
| Dog | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mbu /mbu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | esinga /esiŋɡa/ | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | esin /esin/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | nyau /ɲau/ | nyao /ɲao/ |
| Eat | dzia /dʒia/ | di /di/ | di /di/ | kolía /kolia/ | mé /me/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kudia /kudia/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | nyo /ɲo/ | ku nua /ku nwa/ | kunua /kunua/ |
| One | fok /fok/ | fok /fok/ | bok /bok/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | mosi /mosi/ | umue /umue/ |
| Two | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ̀ /bɛ̀/ | mibale /mibale/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | zole /zole/ | bibidi /bibidi/ |
| Hello | mbolo /mbolo/ | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mbóte /mbote/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | mboté /mbote/ | moyo /mojo/ |
| Thank you | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | matondo /matondo/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ |
| Good | mbamba /mbamba/ | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | mbeng /mbeŋ/ | malámu /malamu/ | mwa /mwa/ | mbote /mbote/ | bimpe /bimpe/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.