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
20 core words in Fang
Water
mendim
/mendim/
Fire
ndoa
/ndoa/
Sun
zòp
/zop/
Moon
ngɔn
/ŋɡɔn/
Mother
nyia
/ɲia/
Father
tara
/tara/
Eat
di
/di/
Drink
nyu
/ɲu/
Love
ndzem
/ndzem/
Heart
nle
/nle/
Tree
eli
/eli/
House
nda
/nda/
Dog
mvu
/mvu/
Cat
esin
/esin/
Hand
wɔ
/wɔ/
Eye
dis
/dis/
Hello
mbolo
/mbolo/
Thank you
akiba
/akiba/
One
bok
/bok/
Good
mbeng
/mbeŋ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, A.70 Yaounde-Fang) languages
| Meaning | Fang | Ewondo | Bulu | Kikongo | Lingala | Aghem | Meta' |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mendim /mendim/ | medzim /medzim/ | medim /medim/ | maza /maza/ | máí /mai/ | mê' /meʔ/ | mə /mə/ |
| Fire | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | tiya /tija/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | ìmáa' /imáaʔ/ | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ |
| Sun | zòp /zop/ | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | zobé /zobe/ | ntangu /ntaŋɡu/ | mói /moi/ | kû' /kuʔ/ | nyam /ɲam/ |
| Moon | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngon /ŋɡon/ | ngonda /ŋɡonda/ | sánzá /sanza/ | nâa' /naːʔ/ | nuŋ /nuŋ/ |
| Mother | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | mama /mama/ | mamá /mama/ | mò /mo/ | ma /ma/ |
| Father | tara /tara/ | tara /taɾa/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | tatá /tata/ | tâ /ta/ | ta /ta/ |
| Eat | di /di/ | di /di/ | dzia /dʒia/ | ku dia /ku dja/ | kolía /kolia/ | nîa /nia/ | mé /me/ |
| Drink | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | ku nua /ku nua/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | nyâa /ɲaː/ | nyo /ɲo/ |
| Love | ndzem /ndzem/ | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | nye'a /ɲeʔa/ | zola /zola/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | nkòŋ /ŋkoŋ/ | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ |
| Heart | nle /nle/ | nlem /nlem/ | nlem /nlem/ | ntima /ntima/ | motéma /motema/ | mwâ /mwa/ | mu /mu/ |
| Tree | eli /eli/ | elé /ele/ | élé /ele/ | nti /nti/ | nzété /nzete/ | kpa' /kpaʔ/ | ti /ti/ |
| House | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | nzo /nzo/ | ndáko /ndako/ | ndô /ndo/ | nda /nda/ |
| Dog | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mbî /mbi/ | mbu /mbu/ |
| Cat | esin /esin/ | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | esinga /esiŋɡa/ | nyau /ɲau/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | gò /ɡo/ | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ |
| Hand | wɔ /wɔ/ | woó /woʔo/ | wo /wo/ | koko /koko/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | kwô' /kwoʔ/ | boa /boa/ |
| Eye | dis /dis/ | dzìs /dʒis/ | zis /zis/ | disu /disu/ | líso /liso/ | dyiá /djia/ | dzi /dzi/ |
| Hello | mbolo /mbolo/ | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | mboté /mbote/ | mbóte /mbote/ | kâa' /kaːʔ/ | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ |
| Thank you | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | matondo /matondo/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | ŋyaa' /ŋjaːʔ/ | nfɔn /nfɔn/ |
| One | bok /bok/ | fok /fok/ | fok /fok/ | mosi /mosi/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | mò /mo/ | mɔ /mɔ/ |
| Good | mbeng /mbeŋ/ | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | mbamba /mbamba/ | mbote /mbote/ | malámu /malamu/ | mwâ' /mwaʔ/ | mwa /mwa/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.