Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 17, 2026

Cuvok language

Cuvok is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon.

Last revised
Jul 17, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
163 w
Citations
4
Source
Cuvok
Native toCameroon
RegionFar North Province
Native speakers
13,500 (2021)1
Afro-Asiatic
Language codes
ISO 639-3cuv
Glottologcuvo1236

Cuvok (French: Tchouvok) is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in northern Cameroon.1

Cuvok is spoken by about 5,000 speakers (ALCAM 1983) in and around Tchouvok, near Zamay (Mokolo commune, Mayo-Tsanaga department), Far North Region. Cuvok is about as closely related to Mefele (especially the Muhura dialect) as North Mofu is to South Mofu.2

Cuvok's vowel inventory only contains two phonemes: ə and a, one of the smallest of any language.3

Notes

Notes

  1. Cuvok at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  2. Binam Bikoi, Charles, ed. (2012). Atlas linguistique du Cameroun (ALCAM) [Linguistic Atlas of Cameroon]. Atlas linguistique de l'Afrique centrale (ALAC) (in French). Vol. 1: Inventaire des langues. Yaoundé: CERDOTOLA. ISBN 9789956796069.
  3. Moran, Steven; McCloy, Daniel; Wright, Richard. "Cuvok". PHOIBLE 2.0. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
References

References