Koma language


The Koma language is a language cluster belonging to the Duru branch of Savannas languages of Cameroon. Blench 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 lists these language varieties as part of the Koma cluster.
  • Gomme
  • Gomnome
  • Ndera
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.
The varieties listed in ALCAM are as follows, listed from north to south:
  • Ndera: spoken to the northwest of Tchamba. Ndera and Kobo 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 : 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. Their language is closer to Kompana than to Koma. 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 or Gimma is more closely related to Koma and Gimnime. 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.

Name

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 and Doome 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 corresponding respectively to the villages Ndera, Mougini, Boge, Li, and Gede. Koma Ndera is found in Faro department, Northern Region and is also spoken in Nigeria.