Meta'
Niger-Congo
Meta' (also Menemo or Bameta) is a Bantu Grassfields language of the Northwest Region of Cameroon, sister to Aghem (agq) within the Ring sub-branch of Western Grassfields. The Grassfields Bantu cluster (~30 languages, ~3M total speakers) occupies the Cameroonian highlands, with each language often associated with a specific village or chiefdom. Meta' is spoken in the Mbengwi and Bali areas of Momo Division. Linguistically, Meta' shares Grassfields Bantu features: tonal (3+ tones with downstep), 5-vowel system with ATR harmony, complex noun-class concord, and SVO constituent order. Cameroon's 2017 separatist crisis has affected the Northwest Region, displacing many Meta' speakers.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Meta'
Water
mə
/mə/
Fire
mɔŋ
/mɔŋ/
Sun
nyam
/ɲam/
Moon
nuŋ
/nuŋ/
Mother
ma
/ma/
Father
ta
/ta/
Eat
mé
/me/
Drink
nyo
/ɲo/
Love
kɔŋ
/kɔŋ/
Heart
mu
/mu/
Tree
ti
/ti/
House
nda
/nda/
Dog
mbu
/mbu/
Cat
guŋ
/ɡuŋ/
Hand
boa
/boa/
Eye
dzi
/dzi/
Hello
mɔlɔŋ
/mɔlɔŋ/
Thank you
nfɔn
/nfɔn/
One
mɔ
/mɔ/
Good
mwa
/mwa/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Niger-Congo languages
| Meaning | Meta' | Aghem | Lingala | Ewondo | Bulu | Sango | Machame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mə /mə/ | mê' /meʔ/ | máí /mai/ | medzim /medzim/ | medim /medim/ | ngu /ŋɡu/ | mringa /mɾiŋɡa/ |
| Fire | mɔŋ /mɔŋ/ | ìmáa' /imáaʔ/ | mɔ́tɔ /mɔtɔ/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | ndoa /ndoa/ | wa /wa/ | mòò /moːʔ/ |
| Sun | nyam /ɲam/ | kû' /kuʔ/ | mói /moi/ | dzōb /dʒoːb/ | zobé /zobe/ | lâ /la/ | ìsùwà /isuwa/ |
| Moon | nuŋ /nuŋ/ | nâa' /naːʔ/ | sánzá /sanza/ | ngɔn /ŋɡɔn/ | ngon /ŋɡon/ | nzë /nzɛ/ | mwezi /mwezi/ |
| Mother | ma /ma/ | mò /mo/ | mamá /mama/ | nyia /ɲia/ | nyia /ɲia/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | ta /ta/ | tâ /ta/ | tatá /tata/ | tara /taɾa/ | tata /tata/ | babâ /baba/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | mé /me/ | nîa /nia/ | kolía /kolia/ | di /di/ | dzia /dʒia/ | te /te/ | ìlya /iʎa/ |
| Drink | nyo /ɲo/ | nyâa /ɲaː/ | komɛ́la /komɛla/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyu /ɲu/ | nyon /ɲon/ | ìnyo /iɲo/ |
| Love | kɔŋ /kɔŋ/ | nkòŋ /ŋkoŋ/ | bolíngo /boliŋɡo/ | nye'e /ɲeʔe/ | nye'a /ɲeʔa/ | ndoyê /ndojɛ/ | ìkwenda /ikwenda/ |
| Heart | mu /mu/ | mwâ /mwa/ | motéma /motema/ | nlem /nlem/ | nlem /nlem/ | bê /bɛ/ | mòyò /mojo/ |
| Tree | ti /ti/ | kpa' /kpaʔ/ | nzété /nzete/ | elé /ele/ | élé /ele/ | kêkê /kɛkɛ/ | mtí /mti/ |
| House | nda /nda/ | ndô /ndo/ | ndáko /ndako/ | nda /nda/ | nda /nda/ | dâ /da/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | mbu /mbu/ | mbî /mbi/ | mbwá /mbwa/ | mvu /mvu/ | mvu /mvu/ | mbo /mbo/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | guŋ /ɡuŋ/ | gò /ɡo/ | nyáu /ɲau/ | esìŋga /esiŋɡa/ | esinga /esiŋɡa/ | nyao /ɲao/ | paka /paka/ |
| Hand | boa /boa/ | kwô' /kwoʔ/ | lobɔ́kɔ /lobɔkɔ/ | woó /woʔo/ | wo /wo/ | maboko /maboko/ | kùoòko /kuoːko/ |
| Eye | dzi /dzi/ | dyiá /djia/ | líso /liso/ | dzìs /dʒis/ | zis /zis/ | lê /lɛ/ | rítiò /ɾitio/ |
| Hello | mɔlɔŋ /mɔlɔŋ/ | kâa' /kaːʔ/ | mbóte /mbote/ | mbɔlɔ /mbɔlɔ/ | mbolo /mbolo/ | bara mo /bara mo/ | máshàlòmà /maʃaloma/ |
| Thank you | nfɔn /nfɔn/ | ŋyaa' /ŋjaːʔ/ | matɔ́ndɔ /matɔndɔ/ | akiba /akiba/ | akiba /akiba/ | singila /siŋɡila/ | ahsànte /ahsante/ |
| One | mɔ /mɔ/ | mò /mo/ | mɔ̌kɔ́ /mɔkɔ/ | fok /fok/ | fok /fok/ | oko /oko/ | ìmwí /imwi/ |
| Good | mwa /mwa/ | mwâ' /mwaʔ/ | malámu /malamu/ | mbaŋ /mbaŋ/ | mbamba /mbamba/ | nzöni /nzəni/ | ìchá /itʃa/ |
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