Baka

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A language of Cameroon

ISO 639-3
bkc
Alternate Names
Bebayaga, Bebayaka, Bibaya, Pygmees Baka, Pygmees de l’Est, “Babinga” (pej.)
Autonym
baka
User Population

40,000 in Cameroon (2007 Y. Léonard). 15,000 monolinguals. Mainly women. Ethnic population: 40,000. Total users in all countries: 43,200.

Location

East region: Boumba, Kadey, Ngoko, and Upper Nyong divisions; South region: Dja-and-Lobo division.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, North, Adamawa-Ubangi, Ubangi, Sere-Ngbaka-Mba, Ngbaka-Mba, Ngbaka, Western, Baka-Gundi
Language Use

The Baka, being pygmies, are held in low esteem by the Bantus. East Region population increase among all language groups and Baka sedentism increase bilingualism. Most domains, including home, education, and forest. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Some also use French [fra], especially with outsiders and also in schools. Some also use Koonzime [ozm]. Some also use Njyem [njy]. A few also use Makaa [mcp].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 5% in French [fra]. In small, dispersed villages, which makes literacy difficult. Taught in one primary school. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Baka
Writing

Latin script [Latn], not used in Gabon.

Other Comments

Semi-nomadic but encouraged by the government to settle along roadways. Different from Baka of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan and from the Aka [soh] (Baaka, Bayaka, Biyaka). Although similar in culture, they are different in language. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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