Mmuock

Mmuock (sometimes Mmouck) is the anglicized form of Muòk (IPA: [m̩muɔk][1])—sometimes written as Moùk (see next paragraph). It is a tribe in the Western part of Cameroon. Belonging to the Bamilike ethnic group, the Mmuock group comprises four villages: Mmuock Leteh, Mmuock Fossimondi, Mmouckmbie and Mmouck Leleng (sometimes called Fossung Eleleng, especially by non-Mmuock people). The first three villages are found in the English-speaking Lebialem Division in the Southwest Region of Cameroon, while Mmouck Leleng lies in the french-speaking West Region.

The Mmuock tribe speaks the Mmuock language. Due to dialectal differences, the name of the tribe is pronounced in Mmuock-Leteh and Mmuock-Fossimondi as /əmmuɔːk/, and in the other two villages as /əmmoʊk/. As a result, there are two anglicized spellings: Mmuock and Mmouck.

Etymology

The word Muòk (or Moùk) means fire in the Mmuock language.[1] There have been two different origin stories to the name. According to the first story, when four brothers, who later founded the four villages, separated, each was to make a fire if attacked; the smoke from the fire would alert the others. According to the second story, the name was given by the people of Bafou as a result of their inability to defeat and capture the four brothers.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Fotang, Tano (2011). The Sound of Mmuock (Vol 1: Orthography) (first ed.). Bamenda: Magnolian Publishers. ISBN 978-9956-645-17-6.
  2. ↑ Asaah, Thomas (1980). Mmock in History. Yaounde.
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