James Ashu

Name Origins and Meanings of the Manyu People of Cameroon James Ashu

Manyu division is one of the more than fifty basic administrative units of the Republic of Cameroon, West Africa. It is situated in the south west region of Cameroon, bordering with Nigeria. Most Manyu people do not know the meanings of their names and a significant number even think Manyu names have no meaning at all. This book attempts to dispel such notions and provide the name meanings. It is the first ever attempt at such an important subject to Manyu people. To do so, the author has made a brief survey of the history of the migration of the Ekois from Nigeria to Cameroon. He has shown that even though their language has mutated into several dialects, their cultural tenets remain essentially unchanged. Thus, their religiosity, cosmology, mysticism, (incarnation and reincation) and cultural believes and practices show proof of a common origin. These believes are explained in the book and shown how they affect the naming methods, and thus meanings, of Manyu names. The book should thus interest all Manyuans and all students and scholars of African studies. Major university and public libraries should find it useful.