The Bamum scripts are an evolutionary series of six scripts created for the Bamum language by Ibrahim Njoya, King of Bamum (now western Cameroon). They are notable for evolving from a pictographic system to a semi-syllabary in the space of fourteen years, from 1896 to 1910. Bamum type was cast in 1918, but the script fell into disuse around 1931. A project began around 2007 to revive the Bamum script.
The Bamum script is also used to write the Shümom language, also invented by Njoya.
History In its initial form, Bamum script was a pictographic mnemonic aid (proto-writing) of 500 to 600 characters. As Njoya revised the script, he introduced logograms (word symbols). The sixth version, completed by 1910, is a syllabary with 80 characters. It is also called a-ka-u-ku after its first four characters. The version in use by 1906 was called mbima.
The script was further refined in 1918, when Njoya had copper sorts cast for printing. The script fell into disuse in 1931 with the exile of Njoya to Yaoundé, Cameroon.The End of King Njoya and the Bamum Script
At present, Bamum script is not in any significant use. However, the Bamum Scripts and Archives Project is attempting to modernize and revive the script. The project is based in the old Bamum capital of Foumban.Unseth, Peter. 2011. Invention of Scripts in West Africa for Ethnic Revitalization. In The Success-Failure Continuum in Language and Ethnic Identity Efforts, ed. by Joshua A. Fishman and Ofelia García, pp. 23-32. New York: Oxford University Press.
Phase A The initial form of Bamum script, called Lewa ("book"), was developed in 1896–1897. It consisted of 465 pictograms (511 according to some sources) and 10 characters for the digits 1–10. The writing direction could be top-to-bottom, left-to-right, or bottom-to-top. (Right-to-left was avoided because that was the direction of the Arabic script used by the neighboring Hausa people.)
Phase B The second system, called Mbima ("mixed"), was developed in 1899–1900. It was a simplification of the first; Njoya omitted 72 characters but added 45 new ones. The writing direction was left-to-right in this and all subsequent phases.
Phase C The third system, called Nyi Nyi Nfa' after its first three characters, was developed around 1902. This simplification omitted 56 characters, leaving 371 and 10 digits. Njoya used this system to write his History of the Bamun People and in correspondence with his mother.
Phase D The fourth system, called Rii Nyi Nsha Mfw' after its first four characters, was developed around 1907–1908. It has 285 characters and 10 digits and is a further simplification of the previous version.
Phase E The fifth system, called Rii Nyi Mfw' Men, was also developed around 1907–1908. It has 195 characters and 10 digits and was used for a Bible translation. These first five systems are closely related: All were progressively simplified pictographic protowriting with logographic elements.
Phase F The sixth system, called A Ka U Ku after its first four characters, was developed around 1910. It has 82 characters and 10 digits. This phase marks a shift to a full syllabic writing system able to distinguish 160 syllables. It was used to record births, marriages, deaths, and court rulings.
Phase G The seventh and final system, called Mfemfe ("new") or A Ka U Ku Mfemfe, was developed around 1918. It has only 80 characters, ten of which double as both syllables and digits. Like the previous system, missing syllables are written using combinations of similar syllables plus the desired vowel, or with a diacritic.
Description
The 80 glyphs of modern Bamum are not enough to represent all of the consonant-vowel syllables (C V syllables) of the language. This deficiency is made up for with a diacritic or by combining glyphs having CV1 and V2 values, for CV2. This makes the script alphabetic for syllables not directly covered by the syllabary. Adding the inherent vowel of the syllable voices a consonant: + = , + = , + = , + = , + = , + = .
The two diacritics are a circumflex (ko'ndon) that may be added to any of the 80 glyphs, and a macron (tukwentis) that is restricted to a dozen. The circumflex generally has the effect of adding a glottal stop to the syllable, for instance is read , though the vowel is shortened and any final consonant is dropped in the process, as in and . Prenasalization is also lost: , , . Sometimes, however, the circumflex nasalizes the vowel: , , , , , (loss of NC as with glottal stop). Others are idiosyncratic: (simple loss of NC), (vowel change), , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
The macron is a 'killer stroke' that deletes the vowel from a syllable and so forms consonants and NC clusters () that can be used for syllable codas. Consonantal is used both as a coda and to prenasalize an initial consonant. The two irregularities with the macron are , read as , and , read as .
The script has distinctive punctuation, including a 'capitalization' mark (), visually similar to an inverted question mark, for proper names, and a decimal system of ten digits; the old glyph for ten has been refashioned as a zero.
Modern syllabary (phase G)
+ Bamum syllabary (diacritics in gray) a ka u ku e re tə ɔ nyi i la pa rii rie lee mee aʔ kaʔ wuʔ kuʔ eʔ rɛn tɔʔ ɔʔ nye iʔ laʔ paʔ riʔ z leʔ meʔ ə taa ndaa nʒəm m suu mu ʃii si ʃɯx sɯx kye kɛt nuə nu nʒuə yɔʔ taʔ ndaʔ yəm n suʔ muʔ ʃiʔ siʔ yɯx sɯʔ kyeʔ keʔ ŋuə nuʔ yuən yɔʔ nd ʃ s y ʃu yu ya nʃa kɯx pɯx nʒe nte pü wü pe fe ru lu mi ni ʃuʔ yun yaʔ ʃaʔ ɣɯ pɯʔ nʒeʔ teʔ püʔ üʔ peʔ feʔ ruʔ luʔ miʔ nɛn rɯx rə kɛn ŋkwən ŋga ŋa ʃɔ puə fu fɔm wa na li pi lɔʔ kɔ rɯʔ rɔ kɛn ŋuət ŋgaʔ ŋaʔ ʃɔʔ puʔ fuʔ mvɔp waʔ naʔ liʔ pin lɔʔ kɔʔ ŋg ʃ f n l k mbɛn rɛn mɛn ma ti ki mɔ1 mbaa2 tɛt3 kpa4 tɛn5 ntuu6 sa7 faa8 vü9 ɣɔm0 pɛn rɛn mɛn maʔ tɯ kiʔ mɔn mbaʔ tɛt ŋma tɛn tuʔ saʔ faʔ fü ŋgɔm t m
Punctuation + Bamum punctuation nʒɛmli: introduces proper names orchanges the meaning of a word .period :colon ,comma ;semicolon ?question mark
Numerals The last ten base characters in the syllabary are used for both letters and numerals:
+ Bamum digitsꛯ ɣɔm 0 mɔ1 mbaa2 tɛt3 kpa4 tɛn5 ntuu6 sa7 faa8 vü9
Historically, was used for ten but was changed to zero when the numeral system became a decimal one.
All versions (phases A–G) + PhaseA Interpretation PhaseA Interpretation PhaseA Interpretation PhaseA Interpretation ŋkü mfɔn ntɔʔpɛn mgbasa mɔɔmɯt gbie fɔn kɯkɯtnda mɯnʒɔmndɯʔ ʃum pɔn mfɔn pipəmgbie nkindi mɔɔmpuʔ lɔmmə pɔn mfɔn pipəmba suu kafa fir'i naa mfɔn ŋkünzɯm pa lerəwa rɔm ʃünʃüt lapaʔ nda lerəwa kpɔʔ tita mfɔn lɛt kut pɛt sɔʔ nza mfɔn ntap mfaa məmkpɛn map piet ʃinda pa nʒi məkɯp nika ʃirə pɔn pa nʒi pipəmgbie paʃə pup ntap pɔn pa nʒi pipəmba ɣɯərə tuəp ʃɔʔ nʃut yum məmgbie pamʃə luəp nyit mɔŋkɯəʔ tu məmba mɔn ŋgɯət sɔnʒam paarə ŋaŋu nzun mɯt tɯtɯwɛn nkaarə məmvɯx u yuʔ nə mənyi (unknown) mansuə ɣɯəɣɯə kɛt mvɯəŋam ntap ntaa ndaaŋgɯət sɯnyam sisa kuɔʔ A Interpretation A Interpretation A Interpretation A Interpretation
+ Phase Interpretation Phase Interpretation Phase Interpretation A B A B A B nʃüt tu nsie mɯʔ tu məmgbie ʃɛt nʒaʔ ŋguɔʔ ("small termite") sie ʃɯəʔtu ŋguɔʔ ("large termite") sɛt tu mfɔn tɯəʔ mfiyaʔ lɔm ntɯm mbit mbaakɛt sü mba məle nyi ntɯm mbɯri kiem kɯpuʔ mɔntien yɯrə ɣɯɣɛn nyəmə mbaarə kɯyɯx puŋaam kam laanə mɯt ŋget peʃi parum fɯx yafu lerəwa vɯm mbuɔʔ lam nʃut nyam ŋkindi mvɔp fe ntie ʃɯɔʔ ŋgɯ mbu kɯəm ndu nʒaa wuət ma nʒɯəna ɣɯɣɯəm ma nʒuʔa sakɯə pit taam A B Interpretation A B Interpretation A B Interpretation
+ Phase Interpretation Phase Interpretation Phase Interpretation A B C A B C A B C ŋkü məmba ndida nsuɔt ŋɔm nza taaʃə nʒee yum nʒüʔ kɛt waŋkuɔʔ tita yü ŋgu ŋgɛn suət məsi ndɯəre ŋguən nyam mbuəm ŋkaʔ vɯx lu ɣarə nansanaʔ kut mbeket ma kɯəri nʒam gbayi ntaa ŋɔm nyir mkparaʔ mɯn ŋguɔn wup ntu mbit lap ŋguet mbɯm mbirien nsɔm pirien mgbasaʔ ntɛn ndɔmbu ntɯngba kuɔp nkaarə mbaa tɯtɯx nsun kɯʃɯəp ŋgum ndam ɣap fü ma nsie kɯkaʔ ndɯt yaa yu muɔmə nsa ndap nzɯm nʃaʔ ʃüʔ mbü buŋ ʃɛtfɔn nsɯən vɯəpɛn mbi mbit mbɛrə məmba yɯʔ ru mbanyi kparaʔ nʒəm kɯsɯx kaa lam mbɯx sɯx tituəp kɯm A B C Interpretation A B C Interpretation A B C Interpretation
+ Phase Interpretation Phase Interpretation A B C D A B C D mbuɔ mfo wap lum nʒi nsiep mfɔn mbaa nʒie kwət lie nyɛt nʒɯt tɯən nʃe sɔt ŋgaamə yuwɔʔ nyam kɯm wuən rəm ŋkun tee ʃe ŋkɯəʔ ŋkap mfɯə kɯətmɯn nsiet tɯt kɯp ʃɯə pip nʒap pɯtə sü nyü kɛt lɛt yəmmə ŋgaam kuɔm mfie sap ŋgwən mfɯt yuɔm ndɯx pap maleri yuɔp mɯt ndam sɯəʔ ntɯm yɛn suə nʒɯəm kun kɯɔt mbuə ŋgɯx ŋkɯri ŋkie tu tuɔt ɣaa mɯn ŋkye kuʔ fɯfɯət nsum nde tɯn mgbɔfum mənʒɛt lɯəp ŋgap ndɔn lɯm mɔni ŋguɔm mgbɯn nʃut puut nʒüʔ mgbie A B C D Interpretation A B C D Interpretation
+ Phase Interpretation Phase Interpretation A B C D E A B C D E ndap vɯə tɔɔn wɯx mbɯm laam lap pu vɔm taaʔ lɔn ɣaamə paa ŋɯrɯt sɔm ʃɯəʔ raʔ mgbɛn nʃuɔp mbe ndun nzaʔ puə nkɔm tam gbɛt ŋka tum kpɯx küt wuɔ yap se nyi ŋgɯət yit paam mfɯʔ tɔɔ ndiaʔ kuɔp pieʔ lɔm yüʔ nʃie lɯəm ŋgɔp fü məm gbɯx ŋkɯx ŋkup ŋɔʔ kɛt nʃü mə rimgba ŋkaami nʒɯx ɣɛt nsɛn fa pem ntum saa pɯt ŋgurə yɯm mgba ŋgɯə ɣɯx nyi ŋkɯəm nzuʔ nʒəmli pɔɔn map mie lɔɔt füt ŋgee nə ndiʔ muə tən ntɯm ɣɯə sɛt fu i pum mvi ndaa puaʔ ŋguəʃə nyam ŋkum yie kut ɣɯn piɛt tuə ntap yɯə yɯət pɔ ŋgup tumə pa kɯə fu suən fɔm tɯəʔ nʒe A B C D E Interpretation A B C D E Interpretation
+ Phase Interpretation Phase Interpretation A B C D E F G A B C D E F G a wü a üʔ ka pe kaʔ peʔ u fe wuʔ ve ku feʔ kuʔ e ru eʔ ruʔ re lu rɛn luʔ tə mi tɔʔ miʔ ɔ n'i ɔʔ nɛn nyi rɯx nye rɯʔ i rə iʔ rɔ la kɛn laʔ kɛn (with high tone) pa ŋkwən paʔ ŋuət rii ŋga riʔ ŋgaʔ rie ŋa z ŋaʔ lee ʃɔ leʔ ʃɔʔ mee puə meʔ puʔ taa fu taʔ fuʔ ndaa fɔm ndaʔ mvɔp nʒəm wa yəm waʔ m na n naʔ suu li suʔ liʔ mu pi muʔ pin ʃii lɔʔ ʃiʔ lɔʔ si kɔ siʔ kɔʔ ʃɯx mbɛn yɯx pɛn sɯx rɛn sɯʔ rɛn kye mɛn kyeʔ mɛn kɛt ma keʔ maʔ nuə ti ŋuə tɯ nu ki nuʔ kiʔ nʒuə mɔ yuən mɔn yɔʔ ("swimming") mbaa yɔʔ ("cover") mbaʔ ʃu tɛt ʃuʔ tɛt (with high tone) yuʔ kpa yun ŋma ya tɛn yaʔ tɛn nʃa ntuu ʃaʔ tuʔ kɯx samba ɣɯ saʔ pɯx faamə pɯʔ faʔ nʒe kɔvü nʒeʔ fü nte ɣɔm teʔ ŋgɔm pü püʔ A B C D E F G Interpretation A B C D E F G Interpretation
Unicode
Bamum's 88 characters were added to the Unicode standard in October, 2009 with the release of version 5.2. Bamum Unicode character names are based on the International Phonetic Alphabet forms given in L’écriture des Bamum (1950) by Idelette Dugast and M.D.W. Jeffreys:
Usage Letters a b d ɛ e ǝ f ɣ g i k l m n ŋ ɔ Unicode name A B D EE EA E F GH G I K L M N NG O French a b d è é e f gh g i k l m n ng o p r s ʃ t u ü ɯ v w x y z ʒ ʔ Unicode name P R S SH T U UE EU V W X Y Z J Q French p r s sh t u ü ù v w x y z j ’
The Unicode block for Bamum is U+A6A0–U+A6FF:
Historical stages of Bamum script were added to Unicode in October, 2010 with the release of version 6.0. These are encoded in the Bamum Supplement block as U+16800–U+16A3F. The various stages of script development are dubbed "Phase-A" to "Phase-E". The character names note the last phase in which they appear. For example, is attested through Phase C but not in Phase D.
Bamum Scripts and Archives Project The Bamum Scripts and Archives Project at the Bamum Palace is engaged in a variety of initiatives concerning the Bamum script, including collecting and photographing threatened documents, translating and in some cases hand-copying documents, creating a fully usable Bamum computer font for the inventory of documents, and creating a safe environment for the preservation and storage of documents.