Ghomálá'

Where and by whom it is spoken

Ghomálá' is one of the main Bamileke languages, spoken in the West region: across most of the Mifi, Koung-Khi and Hauts-Plateaux divisions, in the east of Menoua and in a corner of Bamboutos. Its name literally means "the speech of the people of the village". It has four main dialect zones: North (Bafoussam, Baleng), West (Bamougoum, Bamendjou, Bansoa…), South (Batié, Bangam, Bandenkop…) and Centre (Bandjoun, Baham, Bahouan, Bayangam).

History and writing

The first Ghomálá' spelling systems were devised between the 1920s and the 1940s, using European writing conventions poorly suited to its sounds. Writing really took off from the 1950s within the Christian churches, which published hymn books such as "Mjuopshye Po Kristo". The Bandjoun variety, Ghomálá'-Jo, became the reference form; the current alphabet marks tones with accents.

Where to hear it today

• Mother tongue and everyday language in the fourteen chiefdoms of its area, from Bandjoun to Bafoussam.
• A church language, the oldest written literature in Ghomálá' being made up of hymns and Christian booklets.
• Taught at school: since the 2016-2017 school year, standardised local languages with trained teachers, such as Ghomálá', are to be taught as a compulsory subject.

What sources disagree on

The choice of a reference form is debated: the Bandjoun variety has prevailed, and some villages in the South claim their own variant, Ghomabé.