{"id":58309,"date":"2011-10-04T17:51:04","date_gmt":"2011-10-04T15:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/?page_id=58309"},"modified":"2011-10-04T17:51:04","modified_gmt":"2011-10-04T15:51:04","slug":"bekwel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/en\/bekwel\/","title":{"rendered":"Bekwel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Page created by Marion Cheucle, PhD, University of Lyon 2, DDL \u2013 Language Dynamics \u2013 laboratory. Thesis: Bekwel in Gabon, description and documentation of an endangered langu<\/em>age.<\/p>\n

Data on Bekwel<\/h5>\n

Alternative names<\/strong>: Bekwil, Bakwele, Kwele, Kouele, Okpele<\/p>\n

Classification<\/strong>: Bantu, A85b<\/p>\n

Niger-congo<\/a>, Bantu, Makaa-Njem (A.80)<\/p>\n

Main dialects<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

A sociolinguistic survey by Phillips (1993) reveals five linguistic varieties in Congo: Zalagee, Ebaa, Mekwoob, Mebeeza, Koolo. Bouka (1995) verifies two Bekwel dialects in Congo: an eastern dialect including Mekwoob, Ebaa and Zalagee, and a western dialect consisting in one single variety, Mebezaa.<\/p>\n

In Gabon, along the Invido river, the Bakwele do not speak Mebeeza, nor Ebaa, nor have they ever heard of Zalagee or Koolo. Informants mention Ebit and Ibongho, and some speak Mekwob.<\/p>\n

Area<\/strong>: Gabon, Cameroon, Congo<\/p>\n

Documentation in Bekwel in Cameroon is scarce. This map by the SIL<\/a> locates Bekwel in Cameroon<\/a> (265).<\/p>\n

In Congo, two maps by Phillips (1993) locate Bekwel according to its geographic situation<\/a> and its dialects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Gabon, Bekwel is spoken in the Ogoou\u00e9-Ivindo province. Most of the Bakwele live on the left bank of the Invido. They live in the villages of (North to South) Mvadi I, II, and III, Mayibout I and II, Model, Ndjeng, Abor Zoula, Menanga, Mekob, and Zoatab (district of Makokou). The “North canton” Bakwele live in Mazingo, Massombo, Etumbi II, Zoula, and Mekambo.<\/p>\n

This other map<\/a> shows how the Kwel people<\/strong> are shared over the region of Djouah<\/strong>, Gabon (CHEUCLE, 2007).<\/p>\n

Number of speakers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Estimates account for 2,000 to 3,000 speakers in Gabon.<\/p>\n

No available data on Cameroon.<\/p>\n

The Ethnologue<\/em> accounts for 9,600 speakers in the Sangha department, Congo.<\/p>\n

Language status<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

French is the official language of Gabon. Among various other fields, it is used in education and written communication \u2013 whether economic, political or administrative. Thus French is the language spoken in the media, courts of justice, schools, etc.<\/p>\n

Vitality & Transmission<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

This chart<\/a> shows the degree of vitality of Bekwel in Gabon, according to UNESCO criteria (CHEUCLE 2007).<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the language is handed down to children in villages, and it is the only language spoken by some of the seniors. However, the rural-urban migration is forcing the Bakwele out of their linguistic context. Little by little, the command of the language by younger generations is declining. In spite of the language\u2019s apparent vitality today, there is no guarantee on its future considering the low number of its speakers, the urban migration, and the growing impact of French.<\/p>\n

Media \/ Literature \/ Education<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Bekwel is hardly known in Gabon, except in the area where it is spoken. Education, administration, and the media, all use French. There appears to be no literature in Bekwel, nor standardiaztion of the language. In Congo, J. Phillips is working on the creation of a spelling system in Bekwel.<\/p>\n

\n

Historical observations<\/h5>\n

The ancient origin of the Bakwele is not known. In a more recent history, the Bakwele are believed to have arrived from Cameroon before scattering over Gabon and Congo. An ethnic conflict might have played an important part here: the “Pupu war”. The presence of Bakwele in the Djouah region (Mvadi) could be a consequence of a “Banana war”.<\/p>\n

\n

Bibliography<\/h5>\n

AVORE. 2000.\u00a0Description phonologique du bekwel<\/em>. Rapport de licence SDL, UOB, Libreville.<\/p>\n

BOUKA L-Y. 1995.\u00a0Structures phonologiques et structures prosodiques (le mod\u00e8le bekwel)<\/em>. Th\u00e8se de doctorat, Universit\u00e9 Libre de Bruxelles, Tervuren .<\/p>\n

CHEUCLE M. 2008.\u00a0Vers une description de la langue bekwel (A85b): approche synchronique, approche diachronique<\/em>, m\u00e9moire de master 2, Sciences du Langage, Universit\u00e9 Lumi\u00e8re Lyon 2.<\/p>\n

CHEUCLE M. 2007.\u00a0Les Bakwele du Gabon, perspective culturelle et perspective linguistique<\/em>. M\u00e9moire de master 1, Sciences du Langage, Universit\u00e9 Lumi\u00e8re Lyon 2.<\/p>\n

MEGUILE G. 1995.\u00a0Histoire du peuple kwel du Gabon, des origines \u00e0 1960<\/em>. M\u00e9moire de ma\u00eetrise, UOB, Libreville.<\/p>\n

PHILLIPS J. 1993.\u00a0Enqu\u00eate linguistique et sociolinguistique de la langue bekwil<\/em> (langue bantoue (A80) parl\u00e9 au nord du Congo). SIL<\/p>\n

PHILLIPS J. 2009.\u00a0Guide d\u2019orthographe bekwyel<\/em>. SIL<\/p>\n

PUECH G. 1990. \u00ab Bekwel \u00bb in\u00a0Revue<\/em> Gabonaise des Sciences de l’Homme<\/em> 2: 127-128, Libreville.<\/p>\n

ZIGH R. 2007.\u00a0Etude contrastive du fran\u00e7ais et du bekwel : approches phon\u00e9tique et phonologique<\/em>. M\u00e9moire de ma\u00eetrise, UOB, Libreville<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Page created by Marion Cheucle, PhD, University of Lyon 2, DDL \u2013 Language Dynamics \u2013 laboratory. Thesis: Bekwel in Gabon, description and documentation of an endangered language. Data on Bekwel Alternative names: Bekwil, Bakwele, Kwele, Kouele, Okpele Classification: Bantu, A85b Niger-congo, Bantu, Makaa-Njem (A.80) Main dialects: A sociolinguistic survey by Phillips (1993) reveals five linguistic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-58309","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nBekwel - Sorosoro<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/en\/bekwel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bekwel - Sorosoro\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Page created by Marion Cheucle, PhD, University of Lyon 2, DDL \u2013 Language Dynamics \u2013 laboratory. 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