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THE LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF DR. HILAIRE ESSOH NGOME ON THE BAKOSSI LANGUAGE OF KAMERUN SUGGESTS THAT IT IS GENETICALLY RELATED TO METREMENKHEMI
Dr. Ngome’s profound study delves into the rich linguistic and cultural tapestry of the Bakossi people of Kamerun, paying homage to his esteemed teacher, Theophile Obenga, by unraveling the intricate connections between the Bakossi language and the ancient Egyptian language of Km.t. His meticulous analysis revolves around the lexical correspondences that bridge the two languages, shedding light on the profound similarities that transcend geographical boundaries and historical epochs. This research on Bakossi, a Manenguba language can clarify the genetic filiation between Medumba, the Grassfields languages and Metremenkhemi.
Central to Dr. Ngome’s exploration are the striking parallels found in various domains of linguistic expression, including geographic orientation, existential concepts, religious ideologies, and even the numerical symbolism evident in the triads and enneads of both cultures. Through his scholarly lens, Dr. Ngome reveals a plethora of commonalities, ranging from the names of deities to personal pronouns, demonstrating a profound resonance between the ancient Egyptian pantheon and the linguistic fabric of the Bakossi people.
One of the most compelling aspects of Dr. Ngome’s research is his identification of putative cognates between deities of Ancient Km.t and corresponding personal pronouns in the Bakossi language. This exhaustive list meticulously maps out the linguistic parallels, providing compelling evidence of a shared cultural heritage that transcends millennia. From Bapf to Pakhet, the resonance between ancient Egyptian gods and Bakossi pronouns is striking, hinting at a deep-seated cultural exchange that has persisted through the annals of time.
The following is a list of putative cognates between deities of Ancient Km.t and personal pronouns in Bakossi that was found by Ngome:
Km.t / Bakossi
Bapf / Mbape
Ouadjit / Edjou
Bastet / Mbotte
Bennou / Mbone
Ptah / Epota
Maat / Emati
Menthou / Mounti
Noun / Enona
Ra / Ella : Eyie
Hor / Halle
Khepera/ Akeuleu: Ngapa: Ngoupa
Khnoum / Ekhoume: Ngueume
Neper / Mboul
Serkhet / Essoki
Sekhmet / Ekheme
Shou /Esheu
Sobek / Seba
Gbb / Ngoupe
Tayt / Etouh
Djehuti / Edjake
Anpu / Enopa
Hou/ Ehowe
Amen / Eyaman
Khonsou / Nkonje
Tem / Atame
Seker / Nkwelle
Shesmou / Eshame
Hapy / Ehabe
Bes / Mbesse
Pakhet / Ngueuh
Furthermore, Dr. Ngome’s comparative analysis extends beyond mere lexical correspondences to encompass the grammatical structures of both languages. By scrutinizing simple verbal forms, imperatives, negations, and various grammatical nuances, Dr. Ngome unveils a remarkable symmetry that underscores the linguistic affinity between the Bakossi language and ancient Egyptian. Through meticulous comparison, he reveals how linguistic evolution has shaped both languages, leaving behind subtle traces of their shared linguistic ancestry.
Some examples of putative correspondences in verbal formes between the languages are listed below
1. Djedi was introduced
stj -in -tw -n -f Djdi
solti u aww ma Djedi
2. They placed him in the grain
rdi -in sn st m p it
sina be-tina dja ni adi di-mbe
3. Then came this peasant
iw -in rf skhty pn
Mo nzakhe nin a la hu-na
4. Then it was done according to what his majesty ordered
ir -in tw mi wdjt nbt Hm-f
Bu Beul-ana na n’mi n’Hon-Mbo djom-a
Yet, Dr. Ngome’s inquiry does not stop at linguistic parallels; it delves into the cultural and spiritual realms, exploring the sacred plants, calendrical systems, and funerary rites that bind these disparate cultures together. Through his comprehensive analysis, Dr. Ngome uncovers the profound resonance between the Ausar of ancient Km.t and the Ngoe of the Bakossi, highlighting the enduring legacy of cultural exchange and spiritual symbiosis that transcends time and space.
In conclusion, Dr. Ngome’s seminal work on the Bakossi language not only enriches our understanding of linguistic evolution but also provides a gateway to comprehending the historical transformation of pharaonic language and Egypto-African languages in general. His meticulous scholarship not only bridges the gap between ancient Km.t and contemporary Kamerun but also underscores the enduring legacy of cultural exchange and linguistic evolution that continues to shape our understanding of human civilization.
Source:
Essoh-Ngome, Hilaire. Ethnocultural Relationship of Ancient Egypt and the Bantu World. Menaibuc, 2014.
Baka and Or Duul Neter Neb Hartley4 Comments-
Greetings, Thanks for sharing. This is not an example of the historical-comparative linguistic method for numerous reasons. 1) In some instances this person is comparing transliterations with living sounds which are not accepted in this group, this corrupts your reconstruction for transliterations does not represent a complete sound system and also it’s entirely conventional 2) In some instances this person is using vowels in between consonants of Medew Neter but is not demonstrating how these terms are being reconstructed, meaning what is the method he is deriving his vowels ? 3) The person did not explain what Medew Neter he is using, is it (Old, Middle, New, or Late) for each phase beyond the classical period (Old and Middle) would have extreme grammatical differences? 4) You stated this is an “example of PUTATIVE cognates ?” This person does not offer a reconstruction of the parent language which is the general mission of the historical linguistic method, true COGNANTS are derived from the parent language, in these examples, no parent language is uncovered or reconstructed. 5) No sound correspondences at all are deduced following examples like Grimm Law. 6) I would say that this is an example of the beginning stages of uncovering similarities but this is not the standard historical linguistic method. 7) The cultural aspects are good to look over and this is probably a good start, but claiming genetic relation would take more rigor and time. 8) Also the IPA is not even used whatsoever. Thanks for sharing.
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Here is an example of using transliterations with extant languages even though the IPA is not used in this work
Gbb / Ngoupe
Here you have no vowels, a capital orthographic letter ‘G’ which is not in the IPA. I mean, this is not comparative linguistics, respectfully.
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The author in this section only described similarities between the names here. It is meant to be introductory overall and speaks to future investigations needed between the two languages. One element which the author spoke to was Coptic being a living version of the language. This element should have been seen throughout the text in describing the way the phonology and morphology of the language changed through time. I do recall certain instances where the author spoke to the periods of the grammatical forms but did not readily represent them in the examples. I am away from my sources at the moment but when I get back I will post what I find.
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Clearly, I underlined in this screenshot your EXACT words. You are claiming a GENETIC affiliation and you showed those examples which does not prove a genetic relationship between the languages. That is the point. Coptic being a living version is good, but Coptic has numerous dialects with different sounds or pronunciations, for instance, Sahidic has < keme > Black person but Bohairic < xeme > Black person, the consonant 1 position has different sounds, so what exactly is his method is not clarified.
I gave a clear example of what you posted. Here are the exact comparisons you posted. This is NOT an example of providing proof of a genetic relationship.
1) This is not systematic SOUND correspondences, with no example of Grimms Law 2) There is no IPA, he is using CAPITAL orthographic letters instead of the IPA (sounds) thus this cripples any chance of reconstruction 3) He compares transliteration conventions with EXTANT languages, 3) No RECONSTRUCTION is provided, 4) No example of exactly what period of Medew Neter he is COMPARING (Classical, New, Late) ? for there are grammatical differences. 5) To say GENETIC affinity it won’t be accepted here, but if this is just an introduction then that should be expressed and not what you put off as a genetic work. 6) Explanation of sound changes are void.Km.t / Bakossi
Bapf / Mbape
Ouadjit / Edjou
Bastet / Mbotte
Bennou / Mbone
Ptah / Epota
Maat / Emati
Menthou / Mounti
Noun / Enona
Ra / Ella : Eyie
Hor / Halle
Khepera/ Akeuleu: Ngapa: Ngoupa
Khnoum / Ekhoume: Ngueume
Neper / Mboul
Serkhet / Essoki
Sekhmet / Ekheme
Shou /Esheu
Sobek / Seba
Gbb / Ngoupe
Tayt / Etouh
Djehuti / Edjake
Anpu / Enopa
Hou/ Ehowe
Amen / Eyaman
Khonsou / Nkonje
Tem / Atame
Seker / Nkwelle
Shesmou / Eshame
Hapy / Ehabe
Bes / Mbesse
Pakhet / Ngueuh
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