A Dictionary of Popular Bali Names

written by John Fokwang

A Dictionary of Popular Bali Names is an exceptional minefield of Chamba names, meticulously assembled and expatiated for the curious user. As a pioneer in the field of dictionary-writing in the Cameroon grassfields, Fokwangís third edition counts for more than a regular dictionary. It skilfully combines a short history of the Chamba people in Cameroon as well as ethnographic issues on the naming ritual. John Fokwangís work stands in a class of its own and will serve as reference material for people of Chamba descent and those who fancy the use of African names in general. This edition is an exceptionally worthy contribution to the ethnography of the Cameroon grassfields and of course, the growing literature and interest on African names and languages.

ISBN 9956616478 | 134 pages | 8 x 5 x 0.3 inches | 2010 | Langaa RPCIG, Cameroon | Paperback

John Fokwang

John Koyela Fokwang (1944-2009) was born in Bali Nyonga in the then British Southern Cameroons. He attended the Native Authority School in Bali where upon completing, was hired to teach as a Probationary Teacher. John Fokwang eventually went on to acquire further professional training as a teacher, culminating with a generous list of certificates including a diploma in Project Management from the University of Guelph, Canada. He was a founding member of the Association for Creative Teaching and the Kaberry Research Centre, Bamenda. John Fokwang is the author of the Lion and the Monkey, The Busy Spider, and several academic articles on rites of passage in the Cameroon grassfields.