Fang
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, A.70 Yaounde-Fang)
Fang is a Northwestern Bantu language of the Atlantic coast of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and southern Cameroon, with ~1M speakers. As a Bantu A-zone (A75) language, it preserves more conservative phonological and grammatical features than southern Bantu groups. The Fang are renowned for the Bieri reliquary statuary that influenced 20th-c. European modernist art (Picasso's African period). Culturally significant Mvet musical-bard epic tradition. Latin orthography; one of the four "national languages" of Equatorial Guinea alongside Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Fang
Water
mendim
/mendim/
Fire
ndoa
/ndoa/
Sun
zòp
/zop/
Moon
ngɔn
/ŋɡɔn/
Star
ótéteŋ
/ótéteŋ/
Mother
nyia
/ɲia/
Father
tara
/tara/
I
me
/me/
You
wè
/wè/
Name
djoè
/dʒoɛ/
Eye
dis
/dis/
Hand
wɔ
/wɔ/
Heart
nle
/nle/
Love
ndzem
/ndzem/
Tree
eli
/eli/
House
nda
/nda/
Dog
mvu
/mvu/
Cat
esin
/esin/
Eat
di
/di/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
One
bok
/bok/
Two
bɛ̀
/bɛ̀/
Hello
mbolo
/mbolo/
Thank you
akiba
/akiba/
Good
mbeng
/mbeŋ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, A.70 Yaounde-Fang) languages
| Meaning | Fang | Ewondo | Bulu | Meta' | Kikongo | Luba-Kasai | Lingala |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mendim /mendim/ | medzim /medzim/ | medim /medim/ | mə /mə/ | maza /maza/ | mâyi /maːji/ | máí /mai/ |
| Fire | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | tiya /tija/ | kapia /kapia/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ |
| Sun | zòp /zop/ | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | zobé /zobe/ | nyam /ɲam/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | dîba /diːba/ | mói /moi/ |
| Moon | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngon /ŋɡon/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | ngondo /ŋɡondo/ | sánzá /sanza/ |
| Star | ótéteŋ /ótéteŋ/ | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ôtɛtɛ /ótɛtɛ/ | ntsə́ /ntsə́/ | mbwetete /mbwetete/ | mutoto /mutoto/ | monzoto /monzɔtɔ/ |
| Mother | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | ma /ma/ | mama /mama/ | mâmu /maːmu/ | mamá /mama/ |
| Father | tara /tara/ | tara /taɾa/ | tata /tata/ | ta /ta/ | tata /tata/ | tâtu /taːtu/ | tatá /tata/ |
| I | me /me/ | ma /má/ | ma /má/ | mə̀ /mə̀/ | mono /mono/ | meme /meme/ | ngai /ⁿɡai/ |
| You | wè /wè/ | wa /wá/ | wô /wô/ | ò /ò/ | ngeye /ŋɡeje/ | wewe /wewe/ | yo /jo/ |
| Name | djoè /dʒoɛ/ | jôé /ʒóé/ | jôé /ʒóé/ | ə́ɲə́ /ə́ɲə́/ | nkumbu /nkumbu/ | dîna /diːna/ | nkombo /ⁿkombo/ |
| Eye | dis /dis/ | dzìs /dʒis/ | zis /zis/ | dzi /dzi/ | disu /disu/ | dîsu /diːsu/ | líso /liso/ |
| Hand | wɔ /wɔ/ | woó /woʔo/ | wo /wo/ | boa /boa/ | koko /koko/ | tshianza /tʃianza/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ |
| Heart | nle /nle/ | nlem /nlem/ | nlem /nlem/ | mu /mu/ | ntima /ntima/ | mucima /mutʃima/ | motéma /motema/ |
| Love | ndzem /ndzem/ | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | nye'a /ɲeʔa/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | zola /zola/ | dinanga /dinaŋɡa/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ |
| Tree | eli /eli/ | elé /ele/ | élé /ele/ | ti /ti/ | nti /nti/ | mutshi /mutʃi/ | nzété /nzete/ |
| House | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nzo /nzo/ | nzubu /nzubu/ | ndáko /ndako/ |
| Dog | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbu /mbu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ |
| Cat | esin /esin/ | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | esinga /esiŋɡa/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | nyau /ɲau/ | nyao /ɲao/ | nyáu /ɲau/ |
| Eat | di /di/ | di /di/ | dzia /dʒia/ | mé /me/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kudia /kudia/ | kolía /kolia/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyo /ɲo/ | ku nua /ku nwa/ | kunua /kunua/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ |
| One | bok /bok/ | fok /fok/ | fok /fok/ | mɔ /mɔ/ | mosi /mosi/ | umue /umue/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ |
| Two | bɛ̀ /bɛ̀/ | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ̌ /bɛ̌/ | bɛ́ /bɛ́/ | zole /zole/ | bibidi /bibidi/ | mibale /mibale/ |
| Hello | mbolo /mbolo/ | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | mboté /mbote/ | moyo /mojo/ | mbóte /mbote/ |
| Thank you | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | matondo /matondo/ | tuasakidila /tuasakidila/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ |
| Good | mbeng /mbeŋ/ | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | mbamba /mbamba/ | mwa /mwa/ | mbote /mbote/ | bimpe /bimpe/ | malámu /malamu/ |
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