OLAC Record: A Documentation of Bati Language and Oral Traditions

OLAC Record
oai:soas.ac.uk:MPI1101851

Metadata

Title: Community Life - part 2- Nyambat

Nya_Community-Life_02

A Documentation of Bati Language and Oral Traditions

Contributor: MAKON

ASSOMO

Contributor (consultant): MBESSI MAKONDO

MBOMBOG NJAMBGA

NSUMB-B

NTAN

Contributor (researcher): NGUE UM

Coverage: Cameroon

Date: 2017-06-18

Description: This session deals with issues relating to the community life in the Bati Canton. Recording takes place at Mbombog Njambga's courtyard. The main topic under discussion during the interaction is the conflict over Mbombole between the catholic church and some Mbombog of the Bati-Mpoo-Basaa cultural group.

The project to Document aspects of Bati language and oral traditions is an original idea of Dr Emmanuel-Moselly Makasso, who had initially surveyed the Bati speech area as part of a pilot research project granted by the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation of the Republic of Cameroon. Based on the results of this pilot research which have revealed a situation of critical endangerment of Bati language and ancestral practices, the idea to submit a major documentation project to ELDP has matured. The project has eventually been submitted during the 2015 funding round with Dr Emmanuel Ngué Um as Principal Investigator, and Dr Emmanuel-Moselly Makasso as co-applicant. The project started in October 1st, 2015, and will run till the 30th of September in 2018.

The interaction is articulated into two phases. During phase one, the Principal investigator interrogates Chief Bikoko about the conflict over Mbombole between the catholic church and some Mbombog of the Bati-Mpoo-Basaa cultural group. This first part is carried out in Basaa speech variety in order to accommodate the researcher's linguistic competence, as he is not (yet) fluent in Nyambat speech variety. Phase two of the interaction happens in both Nyambat and Kelleng speech varieties. During this phase, Mbessi Makondo a native of Kelleng prompts Chief Bikoko to anwser a number of questions relating to the ancestral life of Nyambat poeple in particular, and the Mbangele community in general.

The main language used during discussion about the conflict over Mbombole is Basaa language. This is justified by the presence and active participation in the interaction of the Principal investigator who is a speaker of Basaa without bein fluent in Kelleng. When Kelleng speakers address each other, they casually resort to Kelleng and sometimes to French.

Mbessi Makondo Gilbert as acted as one of the key informants for the research team during the first year of the project. Due to his extensive multilingualism coupled with a high sense of public network and relations, he has assisted the research team in most of their whereabouts throughout the various consultants who have agreed to lend themselves to research exercises. In some cases, Mbessi Gilbert has acted as the interviewer. This approach has been privileged in surveys dealing with anthropological, cultural and religous aspects. He had been trained by the research team in the monitoring of interviews, and in questionnaire administration, and has proven to be a talented and committed research assistant.

Emmanuel Ngué Um is the Principal Investigator for the Bati project. He is mainly employed at the University of Yaoundé one where he holds the position of Senior Lectuer of Linguistics, in the Departement of Cameroonian Languages and Cultures at the Higher Teacher Training School. Ngué Um is also Associate Researcher at CERDOTOLA, where he is charged with the responsibility of Archive Manager for ALORA (Archive of Languages and Oral Resources of Africa).

Gwladys Makon is a team research member for the Bati projet. She is enrolled in the PHD programme at the Department of African Languages and Linguistics. Makon is a PHD fellow for the Bati projet, and she is mainly concerned with providing a comprehensive grammatical description of Bati language, all three dialects inclusive. During her undergraduate study at the Department of African Languages and Linguistics at the University of Yaoundé I, Gwladys Makon has red, among others, the followingn subjets: Introduction to general linguistics, phonetics, phonology (with special emphasis on Bantu languages), introduction to sociolinguistics, language teaching, language planning, etc.

Assomo Celestine Ghislaine is a PhD student who is enroled in the Linguistic program at the University of Yaoundé I, Department of African Languages and Linguistics. She has completed her gratuade program in the same Department, and later on graduated with a Master's Degree in descriptive Linguistics in 2015. Ghislaine Assomo is part of the research team working on the documentation of Bati language and Oral traditions. She works on the project on a part-time basis; the remaining part of her schedule being devoted to her PhD research, which deals with aspects of Multilingualism within the broader area covered by the overall Bati Canton.

MBOMBOG NJAMBGA Nicolas is the elderly most living person in Nyambat. He is Mbombog (traditional chief and priest). He lives in the nearest housing to Mbombole, the mythical rock. MBOMBOG NJAMBGA Nicolas has lived continuously in Nyambet since birth. He declares to have been eyewitness to the catholic invasion of Mbombole which eventually led to the erection of a crucifix on top of the Mbombole.

Ntan is an imaginary name given to one of the participants whom the research team has failed to collect metadata for. Ntan looks younger than Nsumb Boniface by at least 10 years or more. He has shown more respect towards Mbombog Njambga during recording. Indeed Ntan has acted as an assistant to Mbombog, and was prompt in attending to Mbombog's priestly errands. Ntan has been at odds with Nsumb on several occasions over the latter's relentless attempts to distrub Mbombog's speech.

Nsumb Boniface is a native of Nyambat. He is a relative to Mbombog Njambga Nicolas. According to Mbombog Njambga Nicolas, Nsumb Boniface's grand father was one of the traditional priests (Mbombog) to who the catholic church have abducted and confiscated their priestly artifacts as the church waged the conquest over Mbombole. Nsumb boniface is a trained tourist guide. He declares to be one of those inhabitants of the Bati Canton who best knows about the topography of Mbombole, even though he did not agree to disclose this knowledge to the research team. During the recording, Nsumb has been continuously inclided to disturbing Mbombog Njambga's speech; he seemed to be at odds with some of the declarations that Mbombog Njambga made, which sometimes drove Mbombog and the principal investigator alike to anger.

Format: video/mp4

audio/x-wav

image/jpeg

Identifier: oai:soas.ac.uk:MPI1101851

MDP0332

Identifier (URI): https://lat1.lis.soas.ac.uk/ds/asv?openpath=MPI1101851%23

Publisher: Ngué Um Emmanuel

International Center for Research and Documentation on African Traditions and Languages (CERDOTOLA)

Subject: Discourse

Conversation

Conflict over Mbombole

Type: Video

Audio

Image

OLAC Info

Archive: Endangered Languages Archive

Description: http://www.language-archives.org/archive/soas.ac.uk

GetRecord: OAI-PMH request for OLAC format

GetRecord: Pre-generated XML file

OAI Info

OaiIdentifier: oai:soas.ac.uk:MPI1101851

DateStamp: 2019-03-31

GetRecord: OAI-PMH request for simple DC format

Search Info
Citation: MBESSI MAKONDO (consultant); NGUE UM (researcher); MAKON; ASSOMO; MBOMBOG NJAMBGA (consultant); NSUMB-B (consultant); NTAN (consultant). 2017-06-18. Ngué Um Emmanuel.

http://www.language-archives.org/item.php/oai:soas.ac.uk:MPI1101851
Up-to-date as of: Mon Oct 18 20:13:26 EDT 2021

Metadata
Title:		Community Life - part 2- Nyambat
		Nya_Community-Life_02
		A Documentation of Bati Language and Oral Traditions
Contributor:		MAKON
Contributor:		ASSOMO
Contributor (consultant):		MBESSI MAKONDO
		MBOMBOG NJAMBGA
		NSUMB-B
		NTAN
Contributor (researcher):		NGUE UM
Coverage:		Cameroon
Date:		2017-06-18
Description:		This session deals with issues relating to the community life in the Bati Canton. Recording takes place at Mbombog Njambga's courtyard. The main topic under discussion during the interaction is the conflict over Mbombole between the catholic church and some Mbombog of the Bati-Mpoo-Basaa cultural group.
		The project to Document aspects of Bati language and oral traditions is an original idea of Dr Emmanuel-Moselly Makasso, who had initially surveyed the Bati speech area as part of a pilot research project granted by the Ministry of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation of the Republic of Cameroon. Based on the results of this pilot research which have revealed a situation of critical endangerment of Bati language and ancestral practices, the idea to submit a major documentation project to ELDP has matured. The project has eventually been submitted during the 2015 funding round with Dr Emmanuel Ngué Um as Principal Investigator, and Dr Emmanuel-Moselly Makasso as co-applicant. The project started in October 1st, 2015, and will run till the 30th of September in 2018.
		The interaction is articulated into two phases. During phase one, the Principal investigator interrogates Chief Bikoko about the conflict over Mbombole between the catholic church and some Mbombog of the Bati-Mpoo-Basaa cultural group. This first part is carried out in Basaa speech variety in order to accommodate the researcher's linguistic competence, as he is not (yet) fluent in Nyambat speech variety. Phase two of the interaction happens in both Nyambat and Kelleng speech varieties. During this phase, Mbessi Makondo a native of Kelleng prompts Chief Bikoko to anwser a number of questions relating to the ancestral life of Nyambat poeple in particular, and the Mbangele community in general.
		The main language used during discussion about the conflict over Mbombole is Basaa language. This is justified by the presence and active participation in the interaction of the Principal investigator who is a speaker of Basaa without bein fluent in Kelleng. When Kelleng speakers address each other, they casually resort to Kelleng and sometimes to French.
		Mbessi Makondo Gilbert as acted as one of the key informants for the research team during the first year of the project. Due to his extensive multilingualism coupled with a high sense of public network and relations, he has assisted the research team in most of their whereabouts throughout the various consultants who have agreed to lend themselves to research exercises. In some cases, Mbessi Gilbert has acted as the interviewer. This approach has been privileged in surveys dealing with anthropological, cultural and religous aspects. He had been trained by the research team in the monitoring of interviews, and in questionnaire administration, and has proven to be a talented and committed research assistant.
		Emmanuel Ngué Um is the Principal Investigator for the Bati project. He is mainly employed at the University of Yaoundé one where he holds the position of Senior Lectuer of Linguistics, in the Departement of Cameroonian Languages and Cultures at the Higher Teacher Training School. Ngué Um is also Associate Researcher at CERDOTOLA, where he is charged with the responsibility of Archive Manager for ALORA (Archive of Languages and Oral Resources of Africa).
		Gwladys Makon is a team research member for the Bati projet. She is enrolled in the PHD programme at the Department of African Languages and Linguistics. Makon is a PHD fellow for the Bati projet, and she is mainly concerned with providing a comprehensive grammatical description of Bati language, all three dialects inclusive. During her undergraduate study at the Department of African Languages and Linguistics at the University of Yaoundé I, Gwladys Makon has red, among others, the followingn subjets: Introduction to general linguistics, phonetics, phonology (with special emphasis on Bantu languages), introduction to sociolinguistics, language teaching, language planning, etc.
		Assomo Celestine Ghislaine is a PhD student who is enroled in the Linguistic program at the University of Yaoundé I, Department of African Languages and Linguistics. She has completed her gratuade program in the same Department, and later on graduated with a Master's Degree in descriptive Linguistics in 2015. Ghislaine Assomo is part of the research team working on the documentation of Bati language and Oral traditions. She works on the project on a part-time basis; the remaining part of her schedule being devoted to her PhD research, which deals with aspects of Multilingualism within the broader area covered by the overall Bati Canton.
		MBOMBOG NJAMBGA Nicolas is the elderly most living person in Nyambat. He is Mbombog (traditional chief and priest). He lives in the nearest housing to Mbombole, the mythical rock. MBOMBOG NJAMBGA Nicolas has lived continuously in Nyambet since birth. He declares to have been eyewitness to the catholic invasion of Mbombole which eventually led to the erection of a crucifix on top of the Mbombole.
		Ntan is an imaginary name given to one of the participants whom the research team has failed to collect metadata for. Ntan looks younger than Nsumb Boniface by at least 10 years or more. He has shown more respect towards Mbombog Njambga during recording. Indeed Ntan has acted as an assistant to Mbombog, and was prompt in attending to Mbombog's priestly errands. Ntan has been at odds with Nsumb on several occasions over the latter's relentless attempts to distrub Mbombog's speech.
		Nsumb Boniface is a native of Nyambat. He is a relative to Mbombog Njambga Nicolas. According to Mbombog Njambga Nicolas, Nsumb Boniface's grand father was one of the traditional priests (Mbombog) to who the catholic church have abducted and confiscated their priestly artifacts as the church waged the conquest over Mbombole. Nsumb boniface is a trained tourist guide. He declares to be one of those inhabitants of the Bati Canton who best knows about the topography of Mbombole, even though he did not agree to disclose this knowledge to the research team. During the recording, Nsumb has been continuously inclided to disturbing Mbombog Njambga's speech; he seemed to be at odds with some of the declarations that Mbombog Njambga made, which sometimes drove Mbombog and the principal investigator alike to anger.
Format:		video/mp4
		audio/x-wav
		image/jpeg
Identifier:		oai:soas.ac.uk:MPI1101851
Identifier:		MDP0332
Identifier (URI):		https://lat1.lis.soas.ac.uk/ds/asv?openpath=MPI1101851%23
Publisher:		Ngué Um Emmanuel
Publisher:		International Center for Research and Documentation on African Traditions and Languages (CERDOTOLA)
Subject:		Discourse
		Conversation
		Conflict over Mbombole
Type:		Video
		Audio
		Image
OLAC Info
Archive:		Endangered Languages Archive
Description:		http://www.language-archives.org/archive/soas.ac.uk
GetRecord:		OAI-PMH request for OLAC format
GetRecord:		Pre-generated XML file
OAI Info
OaiIdentifier:		oai:soas.ac.uk:MPI1101851
DateStamp:		2019-03-31
GetRecord:		OAI-PMH request for simple DC format
Search Info
Citation:		MBESSI MAKONDO (consultant); NGUE UM (researcher); MAKON; ASSOMO; MBOMBOG NJAMBGA (consultant); NSUMB-B (consultant); NTAN (consultant). 2017-06-18. Ngué Um Emmanuel.