Kɔlɔ
Ewondo
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Beti)
Ewondo is a Beti-Pahuin Bantu language of southern Cameroon, the most widely spoken indigenous language and local lingua franca of Yaoundé, the capital city. ~580K L1 speakers; many L2 across Cameroon's Centre Region. Closely related to Bulu and Fang. Notable for the Mvet musical-bard epic tradition (shared with Fang), the Bikut-si dance music genre, and the language of Manu Dibango's compositions. Latin orthography standardized 1990s; used in primary education and Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) regional broadcasting. Bantu A72 zone.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Ewondo
Water
medzim
/medzim/
Fire
ndoa
/ndoa/
Sun
dzōb
/dʒoːb/
Moon
ngɔn
/ŋɡɔn/
Star
ôtɛtɛ
/ótɛtɛ/
Mother
nyia
/ɲia/
Father
tara
/taɾa/
I
ma
/má/
You
wa
/wá/
Name
jôé
/ʒóé/
Eye
dzìs
/dʒis/
Hand
woó
/woʔo/
Heart
nlem
/nlem/
Love
nye'e
/ɲeʔe/
Tree
elé
/ele/
House
nda
/nda/
Dog
mvu
/mvu/
Cat
esìŋga
/esiŋɡa/
Eat
di
/di/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
One
fok
/fok/
Two
bɛ̌
/bɛ̌/
Hello
mbɔlɔ
/mbɔlɔ/
Thank you
akiba
/akiba/
Good
mbaŋ
/mbaŋ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Beti) languages
| Meaning | Ewondo | Bulu | Fang | Meta' | Aghem | Kikongo | Lingala |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | medzim /medzim/ | medim /medim/ | mendim /mendim/ | mə /mə/ | mê' /meʔ/ | maza /maza/ | máí /mai/ |
| Fire | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | ìmáa' /imáaʔ/ | tiya /tija/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ |
| Sun | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | zobé /zobe/ | zòp /zop/ | nyam /ɲam/ | kû' /kuʔ/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | mói /moi/ |
| Moon | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngon /ŋɡon/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | nâa' /naːʔ/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | sánzá /sanza/ |
| Star | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ótéteŋ /ótéteŋ/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | mbwetete /mbwetete/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ |
| Mother | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | ma /ma/ | mò /mo/ | mama /mama/ | mamá /mama/ |
| Father | tara /taɾa/ | tata /tata/ | tara /tara/ | ta /ta/ | tâ /ta/ | tata /tata/ | tatá /tata/ |
| I | ma /má/ | ma /má/ | me /me/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | à /à/ | mono /mono/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ |
| You | wa /wá/ | wô /wô/ | wè /wè/ | ò /ò/ | ò /ò/ | ngeye /ŋɡeje/ | yo /jo/ |
| Name | jôé /ʒóé/ | jôé /ʒóé/ | djoè /dʒoɛ/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | yə́ŋ /jə́ŋ/ | nkumbu /nkumbu/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ |
| Eye | dzìs /dʒis/ | zis /zis/ | dis /dis/ | dzi /dzi/ | dyiá /djia/ | disu /disu/ | líso /liso/ |
| Hand | woó /woʔo/ | wo /wo/ | wɔ /wɔ/ | boa /boa/ | kwô' /kwoʔ/ | koko /koko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ |
| Heart | nlem /nlem/ | nlem /nlem/ | nle /nle/ | mu /mu/ | mwâ /mwa/ | ntima /ntima/ | motéma /motema/ |
| Love | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | nye'a /ɲeʔa/ | ndzem /ndzem/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | nkòŋ /ŋkoŋ/ | zola /zola/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ |
| Tree | elé /ele/ | élé /ele/ | eli /eli/ | ti /ti/ | kpa' /kpaʔ/ | nti /nti/ | nzété /nzete/ |
| House | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | ndô /ndo/ | nzo /nzo/ | ndáko /ndako/ |
| Dog | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbu /mbu/ | mbî /mbi/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ |
| Cat | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | esinga /esiŋɡa/ | esin /esin/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | gò /ɡo/ | nyau /ɲau/ | nyáu /ɲau/ |
| Eat | di /di/ | dzia /dʒia/ | di /di/ | mé /me/ | nîa /nia/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kolía /kolia/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyo /ɲo/ | nyâa /ɲaː/ | ku nua /ku nwa/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ |
| One | fok /fok/ | fok /fok/ | bok /bok/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | mò /mo/ | mosi /mosi/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ |
| Two | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ̀ /bɛ̀/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | bɔ́ʔɔ́ /bɔ́ʔɔ́/ | zole /zole/ | mibale /mibale/ |
| Hello | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | kâa' /kaːʔ/ | mboté /mbote/ | mbóte /mbote/ |
| Thank you | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | ŋyaa' /ŋjaːʔ/ | matondo /matondo/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ |
| Good | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | mbamba /mbamba/ | mbeng /mbeŋ/ | mwa /mwa/ | mwâ' /mwaʔ/ | mbote /mbote/ | malámu /malamu/ |
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