inArticleTalkReadEditView history Main pageContentsFeatured contentCurrent eventsRandom articleDonate to WikipediaWikimedia ShopInteractionHelpAbout WikipediaCommunity portalRecent changesContact pageToolsWhat links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkPage informationData itemCite this pagePrint/exportCreate a bookDownload as PDFPrintable versionLanguagesCatalaCestinaDanskDeutschEspanolEuskaraFrancaisHrvatskiBahasa IndonesiaItalianoMagyarNederlandsOccitanPolskiPortuguesRomana / srpskiSrpskohrvatski / SuomiSvenskaTagalogTurkceTieng VietYorubaEdit linksThis page was last modified on 30 April 2014 at 05:33.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamileke_peopleBamileke peopleFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"Bazu" redirects here. For the Romanian aviator, see Constantin Cantacuzino."Bazu" was also the name of an ancient country in Southwest Asia.Bamileke dancers in Batie, West ProvinceBamileke tamtamThe Bamileke is the ethnic group which is now dominant in Cameroon's West and Northwest Provinces. It is part of the Semi-Bantu (or Grassfields Bantu) ethnic group. The Bamileke are regrouped under several groups, each under the guidance of a chief or fon. Nonetheless, all of these groups have the same ancestors and thus share the same history, culture, and languages. The Bamileke have a population of over 3,500,000 individuals. They speak a number of related languages from the Bantoid branch of the NigerCongo language family. These languages are closely related, however, and some classifications identify a Bamileke dialect continuum with seventeen or more dialects.Contents[hide]1 Organization2 Languages3 History3.1 German administration3.2 French administration and post-independence4 Lifestyle and settlement patterns4.1 Political structure and agriculture4.2 Economic activities4.3 Religious beliefs4.4 Succession and kinship patterns5 References6 Further reading7 External linksOrganization[edit]The Bamileke are organized under several chiefdom (or fondom). Of these, the fondoms of Bafang, Bafoussam, Bandjoun, Bangangte, Bawaju,Dschang, and Mbouda are the most prominent. The Bamileke also share much history and culture with the neighbouring fondoms of the Northwest province and notably the Lebialem region of the Southwest province, but the groups have been divided since their territories were split between the French and English in colonial times.Languages[edit]Main article: Bamileke languagesFollowing Ethnologue classification, we can identify 11 different languages or dialects:Variants of Ghomala' are spoken in most of the Mifi, Koung-Khi, Hauts-Plateaux departments, the eastern Menoua, and portions of Bamboutos, by 260,000 people (1982, SIL). The main fondoms are Baham, Bafoussam, Bamendjou, Bandjoun.Towards southwest is spoken Fe'fe' in the Upper Nkam division. The main towns include Bafang, Baku, and Kekem.Nda'nda' occupy the western third of the Nde division. The major settlement is at Bazou.Yemba is spoken by 300,000 or more people in 1992. Their lands span most of the Menoua division to the west of the Bandjoun, with their capital at Dschang. Fokoue is another major settlement.Medumba is spoken in most of the Nde division, by 210,000 people in 1991, with major settlements at Bangangte and Tonga.Mengaka, Ngiemboon, Ngomba and Ngombale are spoken in Mbouda.Kwa is spoken between the Nde and the Littoral province, Ngwe around Fontem in the Southwest province.Bamileke belongs to the Mbam-Nkam group of Grassfields languages, whose attachment to the Bantu division is still disputed. While some consider it a Bantu or semi-Bantu language, others prefer to include Bamileke in the Niger-Congo group. Bamileke is not a unique language.