Introduction

The Bafut language of Cameroon is spoken by 100,000 people who reside in the North West region: Mezam division, Tuba subdivision, Bafut.

The language Bafut is classified as: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Wide Grassfields, Narrow Grassfields, Mbam-Nkam, Ngemba.

The autonym is Bɨfɨɨ̀. Alternate names include: Befe, Bufe, Fu, and Fut. The ISO code is [bfd]. There are two dialects: Bafut and Bufe (Afughe).

Bafut is widely used in the home and in the community. Everyone can also speak Cameroon Pidgin; many speak English. Some also use Ngemba [nge]. A few Bafut speak French or Mungaka [mhk]. The Ngemba [nge] people use Bafut as a second language.

The literacy development in Bafut is noteworthy. There are literacy programs in 20 schools and 30 churches. Bafut is taught at the primary school level. Radio programs are also ongoing.