Mmuock

Mmuock (or Mmock) is the Anglicised form of Muòk (m̩muɔk)—sometimes written as Mǒk (see next paragraph). The exonym is Bamock. Mmuock is a tribe in the West/Southwest of Cameroon. Belonging to the Bamilike ethnic group, the Mmuock tribe comprises four villages: M'mock Lelieng (Fossung ellelem), Mmuock Fossimondi (M'muockngie), Mmockmbie, and Mmuock Leteh. The first three villages are found in the English-speaking Lebialem Division in the Southwest Region of Cameroon, while Mmock Leleng lies in the french-speaking West Region.

The Mmuock tribe speaks the Mmuock (Mmock) language. Due to dialectal differences within Mmuock (Mmock) communities, the name of the tribe is pronounced Yemba pronunciation: [m̩muɔːk] in Mmuock-Leteh and Mmuock-Fossimondi, andYemba pronunciation: [m̩mok] in the other two villages. As a result, there are two Anglicised spellings: Mmuock and Mmock.

The word Muòk (or Moòk) 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

In the Mmuock culture, there are eight days in the week. The week days, in order, are as follow:³

1. Ngangà (the first day)
2. Mbeqgnúá (Betaâgnúá)
3. Mbeqlěq
4. Njϐngong (Ngong)
5. Mbeqńkœó
6. Njœêlekœr̄
7. Fa'à
8. Télǎng (Njœeláh).

The first day, Ngangè, is a public holiday and a day of rest; no manual labour is permitted. The second day is the market day.