Koma language explained

"Koma"
Region:	northern Cameroon and into Nigeria
Speakers:	41,000
Date:	1982–1989
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Niger-Congo
Fam2:	Atlantic–Congo languages
Fam3:	Volta–Congo languages
Fam4:	Savannas
Fam5:	Adamawa
Fam6:	Leko–Nimbari
Fam7:	Duru
Fam8:	Vere–Dowayo
Dia1:	Gomnome
Dia2:	Gomme
Dia3:	Ndera
Dia4:	Gimme
Dia5:	Gimnime
Lc1:	kmy
Ld1:	Koma Ndera, Gomme
Lc2:	kmp
Ld2:	Gɨmme
Lc3:	gmn
Ld3:	Gɨmnɨme
Glotto:	koma1268
Glottoname:	Koma Alantika
Glotto2:	koma1266
Glottoname2:	Koma Ndera

The Koma language is a language cluster belonging to the Duru branch of Savannas languages of Cameroon. Blench (2004) includes three varieties separated in Ethnologue, Koma Ndera, Gɨmne, and Gɨmnɨme; within Koma Ndera, speakers of the marginal dialects, Gomnome and Ndera, can scarcely understand one another, though both understand the central dialect, Gomme.

Varieties

Blench (2019) lists these language varieties as part of the Koma cluster.^[1]

• Gomme (Gәmme) (also known as Damti, Koma Kampana, Panbe)
• Gomnome (Gọmnọme) (also known as Mbeya, Gimbe, Koma Kadam, Laame, Youtubo)
• Ndera (also known as Vomni, Doome, Doobe)

The Ndera, Gimnime, and Kompana language varieties are spoken in the central part of the Alantika Mountains and part of the Faro plains located at the foot of the Alantika Mountains (in the central part of Béka commune, Faro department, Northern Region).

The varieties listed in ALCAM (2012) are as follows, listed from north to south:

• Ndera: spoken to the northwest of Tchamba. Ndera and Kobo (a variety of Vere) are closely related, and are about as closely related to each other as Gimnime and Kompana are to each other. Ndera is not as closely related to Gimnime and Kompana.
• Gimnime (ethnonym: Gimbe): spoken around Wangay, divided between the Gimbe of the mountains to the west of Tchamba. There are about 3,000 Gimnime speakers in the Northern Region, in Faro department (in Béka commune, around Wangay). Their language is closer to Kompana than to Koma (Koma Ndera). It is also found in Nigeria.
• Ritibe: spoken in the plain to the southwest of Tchamba. The Gimbe and Ritibe are ethnically distinct from each other and do not have the same customs.
• Kompana: more confined to the massif and only extending onto the plain at Saptou. There are about 3,000 Kompana speakers in Béka commune, Faro department. They use Fulfulde as a second language. Kompana (Koma Kompana) or Gimma is more closely related to Koma (Koma Ndera) and Gimnime (Koma Kadam). Kompana is also spoken in Nigeria.

Although they are also referred to by the local government as Koma Ndera, Koma Kadam, and Koma Kompana, the term Koma itself is not used by any of these groups.

The name Koma Ndera is used by the Fulbe and the local Cameroonian government. Ndera is derived from the name of a village. Also, the terms Doabe (ethnonym; name referring to the ethnic group) and Doome (glossonym; name referring to the language) are used by the neighboring Gimbe, including the Kobo, who speak a language closely related to Koma Ndera. Léélu, Bangru, Zanu, Liu, and Yéru are the ethnonyms (plural forms) corresponding respectively to the villages Ndera, Mougini, Boge, Li, and Gede. Koma Ndera is found in Faro department, Northern Region (northwest of the Chamba Leko area) and is also spoken in Nigeria.^[2]

References

• Roger Blench, 2004. List of Adamawa languages (ms)

Notes and References

1. Book: Blench, Roger. An Atlas of Nigerian Languages. Kay Williamson Educational Foundation. 2019. 4th. Cambridge.
2. Book: Binam Bikoi. Charles. 2012. Atlas linguistique du Cameroun (ALCAM). Linguistic Atlas of Cameroon. 1: Inventaire des langues. fr. Yaoundé. CERDOTOLA. Atlas linguistique de l'Afrique centrale (ALAC). 9789956796069.