277. An appeal for Rehabilitation of Bakweri traditional names

An appeal for Rehabilitation of Bakweri traditional names that are either being distorted or are suffering relegation.

By Thomas Mbua Ndoko

There are distortions in the pronunciation of ancestral names of some Bakweri villages and persons.  The abnormality has resulted in ancestral names being erroneously pronounced and spelt with strange prefixes: “Ba, Bo, Bona Bu, Di, Mu”.  Examples:  Vatoke, Wokova, Wonjongo, Wolifamba, Wonakanda, Livanda, Mosaka, are now respectively pronounced and spelt: Ba-toke, Bo-kova, Bo-njongo, Bo-lifamba, Bona-kanda, Di-banda, Mu-saka.

Buea station in the 1890s during the German colonial era

It is common knowledge that names of several families and villages are derived from the names of the founders of the families/villages concerned. Bakweri names have meanings attached to them. This fact highlights the significance of the prefixes “va, wo, woli, wona, wonya” to names of Bakweri persons, families and villages. 

To a Bakweri person the prefixes “va, wo, woli, wona, wonya” suggests the name of the founder of the family or village as well as the meaning of the name, since the meaning of the prefixes “va, wo, woli, wona” is “wonya” that is, the children or descendants of... Examples:

Va-toke = the children or the descendants of Toke/Toko.
Wo-nganjo= the children or the descendants of Nganjo
Woli-famba = the children or the descendants of Lifamba.
Wona-Kanda = the children or the descendants of Nakanda/Nakande
Wonya-Lyonga = the children or the descendants of Lyonga.

In Bakweri folklore also the “Animal Kingdom” is known as “Woli-nyama”, that is, the children or the descendants of “Nyama  Wanga  Likomba  la   Wanga”, Nyama  Wanga being the literal father of all animals.  Hence, Njoh  a  Nyame, Mooso  Nyame, Ikula  Nyame, Isela  Nyame, etc.

There are no alternatives to “va, wo, woli, wona, wonya”.  The meaning attached to an ancestral name is detached from the ancestral name and lost where “ va, wo, woli, wona, wonya” is replaced with “Ba, Bo, Bona”, etc., as in the case of the villages of Vatoke and Wokpwaongo which are now respectively pronounced and spelt “Ba-toke” and “Bo-kpwaongo”.  More examples:

Click here to print, download or read the complete appeal appeal to rehabilitate the ancestral names of Bakweri villages (pdf //-->

Comments

[Gustave Keka Efotte]

Very interesting stuff!!! Dear Mola Ndoko, keep
it coming. I truly enjoy your postings.

Thanks for educating me
Gustave Keka Efotte

[Lyombe Eko]

Mola Mbua Ndoko,

Thank you for bringing this very important issue up. The only group that can solve it once and for all is the Buea, Tiko Limbe and Muyuka, mayor and councils. If they do not do it, no one will do it for them. I suggest that a copy of this be sent to those mayors. They can pass resolutions declaring that the towns revert to their original native pronunciations.

This is a global problem. For example, in India, the British found a city called Mumbai and they called it Bombay. Now the natives of the city have changed the name back to its original name of Mumbai. In Africa, the British called the city of Harare “Salisbury.” It was changed after independence. There are many other examples.

Oma nanu,

Lyombe Eko

[Yemti Harry]

I totally agree with Mola Eko. But it's rather unfortunate that some these Mayors pretend to be ignorant about the matter. Yet, they shamelessly sign municipal orders carrying those names. Some have gone to the extend of changing names of our streets, and renaming others after unproductive politicians just to gain favor.

Yemti Harry

[Mola Njoh Litumbe]

Mola Mbua Ndoko has, as usual, made a scholarly presentation on the mutilation of Bakweri names of persons and villages. Because from the onset, it was Duala and not Bakweri that was written and taught in vernacular schools in Bakweriland, the Duala language permeated and contributed to the adulteration of Bakweri names. For example, the Bakweri language hardly uses the letter "b," while this occures frequently in Duala. So while the Bakweri speaking person would refer to Wonya Lyonga, the Duala person will say Bona Lyonga, because Bona is the Duala for Wonya in Bakweri.

I commend Mola Mbua Ndoko's research findings as an excellent position paper for rehabilitaing and resuscitating this aspect of Bakweri culture.

Mola Njoh Litumbe

[Mola Mbua Ndoko]

Buea, Tuesday 03rd September 2008.

Mola Lyombe,

Bakweri names being distorted or suffering relegation.

I have seen your email of 02nd September. Many thanks. Yes. My view also is that the Municipal Councils are precisely the competent authority to execute rehabilitation.

I therefore in this respect addressed an appeal dated 02nd September 2008 to all Lord Mayors in Fako and also to His Royal Highness the President of Fako Chiefs Conference.

It was after my appeal had been delivered at the offices of the Mayors and to the President of the Chiefs Conference that later in the evening of the same day I forwarded my posting to the internet.

Oma nanu.
Mbua Ndoko

[MAFANY TOME Peter]

Many thanks for the educative piece

[Agnes Mojoko]

Mola Mbua,
I am very much pleased with this piece of information.i think its time for the Bakeweris to rise up and defend their culture especially with the alteration and distoration of names.I wrote a Thesis on "Intercultural Relations in Buea" and my findings revealed that, other tribal groups in Buea have succeeded in alterating the indigeneous cultural practices. The worst part is some indigene's have accepted and assimilated the alterations imposed by the non-indigene's.I think we have to go way back to study the fundamentals of our culture and learn to respect and preserve it in the face of modernisation. A culture is what identifies every human being,if our culture goes on extinct due to distortion and modernisation, then we are lost! it is time for the Bakweris, individually and collectively to rise up, study,love and preserve our culture.