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Wednesday 21 February 2018

Nuts and Bolts: Njerep.

There's only one person left who speaks Njerep fluently, but there are a few people who speak it a little - and by a few I mean exactly three

All of these people are old.

The speakers of Njerep live in the village of Somié
 on the Nigerian-Cameroon border. Obviously, because only one person speaks the language properly, it isn't used much in conversation except perhaps to make a joke, or to say something secret.

Does it matter that Njerep will soon be no more?

Well, here are a few words of Njerep to help you decide:

gāā              tadpole

nòr lòbó      witch
hōn             voice
táp              war
bă               elder brother or sister of the same sex
bīnī             dance
tʃímbí          the name of the night
sátē             to sit with the legs extended

Does the language that contains these words hold within it a unique and marvellous understanding of the world?

You bet.

Weep, weep for Njerep.

Word To Use Today: well, bă would be a useful word for us to have in English, wouldn't it?





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