Bulu

Bulu is a language spoken in the southernmost part of Cameroon, in the Adamawa Region. It is also spoken in parts of Nigeria and the Central African Republic. Bulu belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger–Congo family. There are four main dialects of Bulu, which are not mutually intelligible: Bulu proper, spoken in the Ndélé area Bulu of Banyo, spoken in the Banyo area Bulu of Meiganga, spoken in the Meiganga area Bulu of Bertoua, spoken in the Bertoua area The Bulu language is used in primary education in Cameroon. A French-Bulu dictionary was published in 1982. Bulu is a tonal language, with two level tones (high and low) and two rising tones (high-low and low-high). The language has a relatively simple sound system, with a limited number of consonants and vowels. Bulu has a subject–verb–object word order. The language has a complex system of noun classes, with each noun belonging to one of 11 classes. There are also a number of grammatical gender classes, which are not always aligned with the noun classes. Bulu has a rich oral tradition, and many of the stories and legends have been collected and published. The Bulu people are known for their crafting skills, and their traditional art includes wood carving, pottery, weaving and metalwork.