Mamfe languages

The Mamfe or Nyang languages are,

They form a branch of Southern Bantoid languages spoken in southwest Cameroon. They are clearly related to each other, though they are not close.

Footnotes

References

Mamfe

Mamfe (also spelled Mamfé) is a city and capital of the Manyu A Division of the Southwest Region in Cameroon. It is located 60 km (37 mi) from the border of Nigeria, on the Manyu River. It has a population of 20,300 (2001 estimate). It is known as a centre for traditional religion and traditional medicine. It used to be known for bad infrastructure within the city limits, especially the roads, but in recent times the roads have been tarred and are currently in good condition. The roads leading in and out, however, remain untarred and are difficult to impassable during the rainy season.

The name "Mamfe" comes from the Bayangi language. When Germans first arrived in the area via the Cross River, the Germans greeted a local man who was carrying sand from the shore and tried interrogating him about where they were. The Bayangi man didn't understand and only said in his dialect, "Mamfie fah(where should i put it)". The Germans heard this as "Mamfe" and named the area so.

The inhabitants speak a Bayangi language as their mother tongue, called Kenyang, although English is the official language spoken along with Pidgin, and several other dialects, including Ejagham. The city is also noteworthy for the high proportion of Nigerians who live there.