Bamum is a noun-class language: the noun carries a prefix.
Like all Bantu languages, Bamum sorts its nouns into classes. Each class has its prefix, and that prefix governs agreement across the whole noun phrase.
mə- singular · pə- plural
Example with tɯ́tɯ́ "tree":
| tɯ́tɯ́ | tree |
| mə-tɯ́tɯ́ → mətɯ́tɯ́ | a (small) tree |
| pə-tɯ́tɯ́ → pə́↓tɯ́tɯ́ | (small) trees |
🎵 Look closely at the plural: the consonants do not change, the prefix barely changes — it is the tone that does all the work. That is the subject of the next lesson.
info_outline Source : Pawou Molu (2018)