Fulfulde as a Vehicular Language: An Opportunity or a Threat to Minority Languages in Maroua?

Abstract

It is increasingly recognized that most minority language speakers tend to giveup their languages in favour of a vehicular language as they move to urbancentres. In recent years, the degree of endangerment of indigenous languagesseems to be accelerating due to the increased dominance of Fulfulde. This studyseeks to find out whether the seeming progressive abandonment of locallanguages in the Far North region of Cameroon is due to Fulfulde or French.Data was obtained through participant observation and questionnaireadministration. The results indicate that Fulfulde, and to a certain extentFrench tend to monopolize most of the proposed domains of language use. Thefindings show that the respondents have limited fluency in their MotherTongues. They 􀁄􀁏􀁖􀁒􀀃 􀁕􀁈􀁙􀁈􀁄􀁏􀀃 􀁗􀁋􀁄􀁗􀀃 􀀩􀁘􀁏􀁉􀁘􀁏􀁇􀁈􀀃 􀁌􀁖􀀃 􀁊􀁕􀁄􀁇􀁘􀁄􀁏􀁏􀁜􀀃 􀁅􀁈􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃 􀁓􀁄􀁕􀁗􀁌􀁆􀁌􀁓􀁄􀁑􀁗􀁖􀂷Mother Tongues, and they considered it as a potential threat to minoritylanguages. It concludes that minority languages are threatened more byFulfulde than French in Maroua.Key words: Endangerment, shift, multilingualism, contact, domains