Mbu, or Ajumbu, is a Southern Bantoid language of Cameroon. It is traditionally classified as a Western Beboid language, but that has not been demonstrated to be a valid family. Inasmuch as Western Beboid may be valid, Mbu would appear to be the most divergent of its languages.
"Mbu" is the name of the village the language is spoken in.
Phonology + Mbu' Consonant phonemesGood, Jeff and Lovegren, Jesse and Mve, Jean Patrick and Tchiemouo, Nganguep Carine and Voll, Rebecca and Di Carlo, Pierpaolo. 2011. The languages of the Lower Fungom region of Cameroon: Grammatical overview. Africana Linguistica 17. 101–164.LabialDentalPalatalVelarGlottalPlainLabializedPlainLabialNasalmn̪ɲŋPlosivevoicelesst̪kkpʔvoicedbd̪ggbAffricatevoicelesst̪s̪tʃvoicedd̪z̪dʒFricativevoicelessfs̪ʃvoicedvz̪ʒɣApproximantl̪jɥw + Mbu' Vowel PhonemesFrontCentralBackClosei yɨuMide ɛəo ɔOpena There are three tones; high, mid, and low.
References
Blench, Roger, 2011. 'The membership and internal structure of Bantoid and the border with Bantu'. Bantu IV, Humboldt University, Berlin. Good, Jeff, & Jesse Lovegren. 2009. 'Reassessing Western Beboid'. Bantu III. Good, Jeff, & Scott Farrar. 2008. 'Western Beboid and African language classification'. LSA.
External links ELAR archive of Ajumbu language documentation materials