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Classification of Pygmy languages

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194: 182: 30: 169:(1999) argues that the Pygmies are not descended from residual hunter-gatherer groups, but rather are offshoots of larger neighboring ethnolinguistic groups that had adopted forest subsistence strategies. None of the Pygmy peoples live in the deep forest without trade with agricultural 'patrons'. Blench argues that Pygmies are a deeply established caste, like 162:
Some 30% of the Aka language is not Bantu, and a similar percentage of the Baka language is not Ubangian. Much of this vocabulary is botanical, and deals with honey-collecting or is otherwise specialized for the forest, and much of it is shared between the two western Pygmy groups. It has been
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Though lumped together as "Pygmies" by outsiders, including their patrons, these peoples are not related to each other either ethnically or linguistically. Different Pygmy peoples may have distinct genetic mechanisms for their short stature, demonstrating diverse origins.
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families. It is assumed that Pygmies once spoke their own language(s), but that, through living in symbiosis with other Africans in prehistorical times, they adopted languages belonging to these two families." The linguistic evidence that such languages existed include
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which may contain a core of non-Bantu vocabulary. It has been postulated that ancestral speakers may have been part of a complex of non-Pygmoid languages of hunter-gatherer populations in Africa whose only surviving descendants today mostly ring the rainforest.
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of Malawi, for example, believe them to be aboriginal peoples, and trace sacred places to them, but Blench suggests that they may have instead migrated from the forest with the Bantu, and were later conflated with aboriginal populations in legend.
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proposed that this is the remnant of an independent western Pygmy (Mbenga or "Baaka") language. However, this split was only reconstructed to the 15th century, so there is no reason to think that it is ancient.
143:. While there is a scarcity of excavated archaeological sites in Central Africa that could support this hypothesis, genetic studies have shown that Pygmy populations possess ancient divergent 872:
Physically, these southern Twa do not differ from their Bantu neighbors, but have a similar subservient position to their agricultural neighbors as the forest Pygmies. They may be remnant
1093:"Languages of African rainforest " pygmy " hunter-gatherers: language shifts without cultural admixture. Historical linguistics and hunter-gatherers populations in global perspective" 1185: 63:
and live in a generally subservient relationship with agricultural "patrons", with which they trade forest products such as meat and honey for agricultural and iron products.
1000: 255:. All attested Pygmy peoples speak languages from these three language families, and only three peoples, the Aka, Baka, and Asua, have their own language. 944: 940: 1153:
Serge Bahuchet, 2006. "Languages of the African Rainforest « Pygmy Â» Hunter-Gatherers: Language Shifts without Cultural Admixture."
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Generally speaking; those who are not particularly short, such as the Babongo and Bedzan, are sometimes distinguished as "pygmoid".
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Hewlett & Fancher, 2011. "Central African Hunter-Gatherer Research Traditions". In Cummings, Jordan, & Zvelebil, eds,
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Distribution of Pygmy languages according to Bahuchet. Green are Bantu, red are Central Sudanic, and purple are Ubangian.
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Kazadi 1981:838 reports the Cwa were living with the Luba when they moved south and contacted the Hemba. (
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History of the inhabitants of the central African rain forest: perspectives from comparative linguistics.
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In the Central African Republic north of the Aka are a group who speak the language of their neighbors,
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who were partially absorbed or displaced by later immigration of agricultural peoples and adopted their
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Méprisés et admirés: l'ambivalence des relations entre le Bacwa (Pygmées) et les Bahemba (Bantu)
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Central African hunter-gatherers in a multi-disciplinary perspective: challenging elusiveness
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Tropical forests, people, and food: Biocultural interactions and applications to development.
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Apart from those who live in the savannah or mixed terrain, such as the Bofi and Bedzan.
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Modification by Hewlett and Fancher. Bofi is added in the west, and Nsua in the east.
60: 1435: 820: 753: 511: 359: 313: 273: 234: 152: 431:) are the westernmost Pygmies, living in southern Cameroon near the coast, and in 1538: 1335: 1318: 1282: 815: 807: 766: 713: 705: 655: 436: 400: 243: 216: 156: 140: 124: 97: 89: 52: 1028:
Blench, Roger. 1997. "The languages of Africa". In Blench & Spriggs (eds.),
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of the Great Lakes (Rwanda, Burundi, eastern D.R. Congo, southern Uganda) speak
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There are over a dozen attested Pygmy peoples numbering at least 350,000 in the
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The most complete account of Pygmy languages is found in Serge Bahuchet (1993)
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An original Pygmy language has been postulated for at least some Pygmy groups.
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A common hypothesis is that African Pygmies are the direct descendants of the
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Historical linguistics and hunter-gatherers populations in global perspective
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live in Cameroon not far from the Nigerian border. They speak a dialect of
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There are other, undocumented hunter-gatherer forest peoples such as the
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Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers.
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forest vocabulary which is shared by the neighbouring Ubangian-speaking
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writes that "African Pygmies speak languages belonging to either to the
877: 778: 701: 296: 101: 486:, or Akoa, of southern Gabon speak several Bantu languages, including 849: 736: 683: 1116:. K. Biesbrouck, S. Elders & G. Rossel eds. 41–60. Leiden: CNWS. 720:), which are either divergent dialects or closely related languages. 696: 55:
economy and a simple, non-hierarchical societal structure based on
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The Origin of Language: Tracing the Evolution of the Mother Tongue
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The Twa of Angola live among the Ngambwe, Havakona, Zimba and
351: 225: 951:, and there are thought to be more in the two Congos and in 463:) of Congo and northwestern Gabon speak a Bantu language, 173:, and that there was no original Pygmy race or language. 990:. John Wiley & Sons, Inc: New York, 1994. p. 154 435:on the coast. They speak two dialects of the Bantu 708:of western D.R. Congo, speak several varieties of 1592: 1110:Are the African Pygmies an ethnographic fiction 1217: 1144:Genetics and linguistics in sub-Saharan Africa 331:Miyaka (N Gabon, Bantu), Luma (N Gabon, Bantu) 108:, and this connection is not ancient) and the 1186: 70: 1200: 1193: 1179: 571:speak their own Central Sudanic language ( 1098:. Max-Planck Inst., Leipzig. p. 22. 1090: 1040: 1001:"DDL : CLHASS – Themes and actions" 192: 180: 176: 28: 868:, and presumably speak their languages. 579:, the language of one of their patrons. 14: 1593: 1055: 967:is in approximately the right location 903:Histoire d'une civilisation forestiĂšre 695: 599:(a.k.a. Sua) speak the Bantu language 1326: 1174: 522:, however, may have a non-Bantu core. 347: 33:Distribution of Pygmies according to 1043:"Changing Language, Remaining Pygmy" 1606:Classification of African languages 547:speak the Central Sudanic language 312:which is a Bantu language close to 24: 1041:Bahuchet, Serge (2 January 2012). 333:appear to be Aka (Benzele) groups. 25: 1622: 1136: 1119: 1102: 958: 933: 896: 320:are well known for their music. 1084: 1067: 1049: 1034: 1022: 993: 980: 924: 915: 211:(Aka and Baka) of the western 13: 1: 974: 514:, and perhaps others such as 399:, which is a language of the 1091:Bahuchet, Serge (Aug 2006). 7: 1030:Archaeology and language IV 752:(central D.R. Congo) speak 625:all speak Bantu languages. 10: 1627: 1056:Naidoo, Thijessen (2014). 520:Punu dialect of the Irimba 71:Original Pygmy language(s) 1570: 1529: 1497: 1470: 1448: 1411: 1348: 1317: 1299: 1281: 1253: 1244: 1208: 1146:. Presented at SAfA 2004. 288: 258: 239:Central Sudanic languages 205:. The best known are the 1202:Languages of the Pygmies 1081:Paris: Unesco/Parthenon. 1045:. WSU Press. p. 28. 1005:www.ddl.ish-lyon.cnrs.fr 949:Central African Republic 908: 535: 350:Ngombe) of Cameroon and 302:Central African Republic 147:(especially haplogroups 1167:Oxford University Press 765:(Bambote) northwest of 127:peoples of the central 1073:Serge Bahuchet, 1993, 616: 354:speak closely related 237:, who speak Bantu and 198: 190: 42: 1142:Blench, Roger. 2004. 1108:Blench, Roger. 1999. 1077:In C.M. Hladik, ed., 386:Population: 30–40,000 327:Population: 30–50,000 196: 184: 177:Peoples and languages 32: 1611:Indigenous languages 888:of Zambia, and the 610:Population: 26,000? 586:Population: 10,000? 558:Population: 10,000? 104:(though not by the 727:Population: 14,000 674:Population: 10,000 356:Ubangian languages 251:, who speak Bantu 221:Ubangian languages 199: 191: 129:African rainforest 43: 1588: 1587: 1566: 1565: 1562: 1561: 1525: 1524: 1493: 1492: 1466: 1465: 1444: 1443: 1407: 1406: 1344: 1343: 1240: 1239: 986:Ruhlen, Merritt. 876:populations; the 792:Upemba Depression 646:Population: 1,000 529:Population: 3,000 474:Population: 2,600 446:Population: 4,000 433:Equatorial Guinea 410:Population: 3,000 306:Republic of Congo 85:Niger–Kordofanian 16:(Redirected from 1618: 1527: 1526: 1495: 1494: 1468: 1467: 1446: 1445: 1409: 1408: 1346: 1345: 1324: 1323: 1251: 1250: 1215: 1214: 1195: 1188: 1181: 1172: 1171: 1147: 1140: 1134: 1123: 1117: 1106: 1100: 1099: 1097: 1088: 1082: 1071: 1065: 1064: 1062: 1053: 1047: 1046: 1038: 1032: 1026: 1020: 1019: 1017: 1016: 1007:. Archived from 997: 991: 984: 968: 962: 956: 937: 931: 928: 922: 919: 857:, Zambia, speak 840:, Zambia, speak 823:, Zambia, speak 821:Bangweulu Swamps 699: 378: 377: 349: 274:Bantoid language 235:Ituri Rainforest 21: 1626: 1625: 1621: 1620: 1619: 1617: 1616: 1615: 1601:Pygmy languages 1591: 1590: 1589: 1584: 1558: 1521: 1489: 1462: 1440: 1403: 1340: 1313: 1295: 1277: 1236: 1219:Central Sudanic 1204: 1199: 1150: 1141: 1137: 1124: 1120: 1107: 1103: 1095: 1089: 1085: 1072: 1068: 1060: 1054: 1050: 1039: 1035: 1027: 1023: 1014: 1012: 999: 998: 994: 985: 981: 977: 972: 971: 963: 959: 938: 934: 929: 925: 920: 916: 911: 899: 767:Lake Tanganyika 706:Lake Mai-Ndombe 656:Great Lakes Twa 623:Twa populations 619: 538: 437:Mvumbo language 375: 374: 291: 282:Population: 400 265:Medzan (Bedzan) 261: 179: 141:Bantu languages 133:Central Sudanic 125:hunter-gatherer 73: 53:hunter-gatherer 23: 22: 18:Pygmy languages 15: 12: 11: 5: 1624: 1614: 1613: 1608: 1603: 1586: 1585: 1583: 1582: 1576: 1574: 1568: 1567: 1564: 1563: 1560: 1559: 1557: 1556: 1551: 1546: 1541: 1535: 1533: 1523: 1522: 1520: 1519: 1514: 1509: 1503: 1501: 1491: 1490: 1488: 1487: 1482: 1476: 1474: 1464: 1463: 1461: 1460: 1454: 1452: 1442: 1441: 1439: 1438: 1433: 1428: 1423: 1417: 1415: 1405: 1404: 1402: 1401: 1395: 1390: 1385: 1380: 1375: 1370: 1365: 1360: 1354: 1352: 1342: 1341: 1339: 1338: 1332: 1330: 1321: 1315: 1314: 1312: 1311: 1305: 1303: 1297: 1296: 1294: 1293: 1287: 1285: 1279: 1278: 1276: 1275: 1270: 1265: 1259: 1257: 1248: 1242: 1241: 1238: 1237: 1235: 1234: 1229: 1223: 1221: 1212: 1206: 1205: 1198: 1197: 1190: 1183: 1175: 1169: 1168: 1161: 1149: 1148: 1135: 1118: 1101: 1083: 1066: 1048: 1033: 1021: 992: 978: 976: 973: 970: 969: 957: 932: 923: 913: 912: 910: 907: 898: 895: 870: 869: 862: 845: 828: 811: 774: 757: 731: 730: 729: 728: 722: 721: 697:[tʃwa] 678: 677: 676: 675: 669: 668: 650: 649: 648: 647: 641: 640: 618: 615: 614: 613: 612: 611: 605: 604: 590: 589: 588: 587: 581: 580: 575:), related to 562: 561: 560: 559: 553: 552: 537: 534: 533: 532: 531: 530: 524: 523: 478: 477: 476: 475: 469: 468: 450: 449: 448: 447: 441: 440: 414: 413: 412: 411: 405: 404: 390: 389: 388: 387: 381: 380: 337: 336: 335: 334: 328: 322: 321: 290: 287: 286: 285: 284: 283: 260: 257: 178: 175: 145:Y-DNA lineages 122:Late Stone Age 77:Merritt Ruhlen 72: 69: 37:. Many of the 35:Cavalli-Sforza 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1623: 1612: 1609: 1607: 1604: 1602: 1599: 1598: 1596: 1581: 1578: 1577: 1575: 1573: 1569: 1555: 1552: 1550: 1547: 1545: 1542: 1540: 1537: 1536: 1534: 1532: 1528: 1518: 1515: 1513: 1510: 1508: 1505: 1504: 1502: 1500: 1496: 1486: 1483: 1481: 1478: 1477: 1475: 1473: 1469: 1459: 1456: 1455: 1453: 1451: 1447: 1437: 1434: 1432: 1429: 1427: 1424: 1422: 1419: 1418: 1416: 1414: 1410: 1399: 1396: 1394: 1391: 1389: 1386: 1384: 1381: 1379: 1376: 1374: 1371: 1369: 1366: 1364: 1361: 1359: 1356: 1355: 1353: 1351: 1347: 1337: 1334: 1333: 1331: 1329: 1325: 1322: 1320: 1316: 1310: 1307: 1306: 1304: 1302: 1298: 1292: 1289: 1288: 1286: 1284: 1280: 1274: 1271: 1269: 1266: 1264: 1261: 1260: 1258: 1256: 1252: 1249: 1247: 1243: 1233: 1230: 1228: 1225: 1224: 1222: 1220: 1216: 1213: 1211: 1207: 1203: 1196: 1191: 1189: 1184: 1182: 1177: 1176: 1173: 1166: 1162: 1159: 1155: 1152: 1151: 1145: 1139: 1132: 1128: 1122: 1115: 1111: 1105: 1094: 1087: 1080: 1076: 1070: 1063:. p. 90. 1059: 1052: 1044: 1037: 1031: 1025: 1011:on 2017-12-24 1010: 1006: 1002: 996: 989: 983: 979: 966: 961: 954: 950: 946: 942: 936: 927: 918: 914: 906: 904: 894: 891: 887: 883: 879: 875: 867: 863: 860: 856: 852: 851: 846: 843: 839: 838:Lukanga Swamp 835: 834: 829: 826: 822: 818: 817: 816:Bangweulu Twa 812: 809: 805: 801: 797: 793: 789: 785: 781: 780: 775: 772: 768: 764: 763: 758: 755: 751: 747: 743: 739: 738: 733: 732: 726: 725: 724: 723: 719: 715: 711: 707: 703: 698: 694: 690: 686: 685: 680: 679: 673: 672: 671: 670: 666: 662: 658: 657: 652: 651: 645: 644: 643: 642: 638: 634: 633: 628: 627: 626: 624: 609: 608: 607: 606: 602: 598: 597: 592: 591: 585: 584: 583: 582: 578: 574: 570: 569: 564: 563: 557: 556: 555: 554: 550: 546: 545: 540: 539: 528: 527: 526: 525: 521: 517: 513: 509: 505: 501: 497: 493: 489: 485: 484: 480: 479: 473: 472: 471: 470: 466: 462: 458: 457: 452: 451: 445: 444: 443: 442: 438: 434: 430: 426: 422: 421: 416: 415: 409: 408: 407: 406: 402: 398: 397: 392: 391: 385: 384: 383: 382: 373: 369: 365: 361: 357: 353: 345: 344: 339: 338: 332: 329: 326: 325: 324: 323: 319: 315: 311: 307: 303: 299: 298: 293: 292: 281: 280: 279: 278: 277: 275: 271: 267: 266: 256: 254: 250: 246: 245: 240: 236: 232: 228: 227: 222: 218: 214: 210: 209: 204: 195: 189:is not shown. 188: 183: 174: 172: 168: 164: 160: 158: 154: 150: 146: 142: 138: 134: 130: 126: 123: 118: 115: 111: 107: 103: 99: 95: 91: 86: 82: 78: 68: 64: 62: 58: 54: 50: 49: 48:Congo Pygmies 40: 36: 31: 27: 19: 1572:Unclassified 1507:Luba-Katanga 1210:Nilo-Saharan 1201: 1164: 1157: 1138: 1130: 1126: 1121: 1113: 1104: 1086: 1078: 1074: 1069: 1051: 1036: 1029: 1024: 1013:. Retrieved 1009:the original 1004: 995: 987: 982: 960: 935: 926: 917: 905:, volume 2. 902: 900: 897:Bibliography 871: 848: 831: 814: 796:Luba-Katanga 787: 783: 777: 760: 745: 741: 735: 692: 688: 682: 654: 639:speak Bantu. 630: 621:The various 620: 594: 566: 542: 481: 460: 454: 428: 424: 418: 394: 341: 330: 317: 295: 263: 262: 253:Rwanda-Rundi 242: 230: 224: 206: 200: 187:Southern Twa 167:Roger Blench 165: 161: 157:haplogroup E 119: 81:Nilo-Saharan 74: 65: 61:Congo forest 46: 44: 41:are missing. 39:southern Twa 26: 1246:Niger–Congo 855:Kafue Flats 833:Lukanga Twa 318:Benzele Aka 249:Great Lakes 213:Congo basin 203:Congo Basin 171:blacksmiths 112:dialect of 1595:Categories 1431:Lia-Ntomba 1160:. Leipzig. 1015:2017-01-22 975:References 779:Upemba Twa 702:Lake Tumba 689:Ntomba Twa 310:Aka (Yaka) 241:, and the 215:who speak 100:-speaking 1373:West Teke 850:Kafwe Twa 790:) of the 773:language. 762:Mbote Twa 737:Kasai Twa 684:Mongo Twa 496:West Teke 233:) of the 45:The term 1393:Kaning'i 1255:Ubangian 965:Holoholo 784:Luba Twa 769:speak a 742:Kuba Twa 712:(Konda, 577:Mangbetu 459:(a.k.a. 423:(a.k.a. 366:proper, 362:branch: 304:and the 137:Ubangian 1480:Kirundi 1436:Bushong 1301:Bantoid 947:of the 945:Bolimba 874:Khoisan 853:of the 836:of the 754:Bushong 512:Kaningi 403:branch. 379:Ngondi. 358:of the 314:Lingala 300:of the 247:of the 1539:Taabwa 1531:Zone M 1499:Zone L 1472:Zone J 1450:Zone D 1413:Zone C 1350:Zone B 1336:Mvumbo 1328:Zone A 1133:51-4.) 1131:Africa 1112:? In: 953:Angola 884:, and 808:Taabwa 806:, and 794:speak 716:, and 714:Ntomba 637:Uganda 518:. The 370:, and 360:Ngbaka 348:a.k.a. 316:. The 308:speak 289:Mbenga 259:Bedzan 231:et al. 223:; the 208:Mbenga 90:Mbenga 1580:Rimba 1554:Tonga 1549:Lenje 1544:Bemba 1517:Songe 1512:Hemba 1426:Mongo 1398:Rimba 1388:Myene 1383:Lumbu 1368:Njebi 1363:Tsogo 1319:Bantu 1309:Tikar 1283:Gbaya 1273:Gundi 1268:Ganzi 1096:(PDF) 1061:(PDF) 941:Mbati 909:Notes 890:Chewa 886:Lenje 882:Tonga 866:Himba 859:Tonga 842:Lenje 825:Bemba 804:Songe 800:Hemba 750:Kasai 748:) of 710:Mongo 700:) of 661:Rundi 596:Kango 536:Mbuti 508:Myene 504:Lumbu 492:Nzebi 488:Tsogo 483:Bongo 420:Gyele 401:Gbaya 372:Gundi 368:Ganzi 352:Gabon 270:Tikar 229:(Efe 226:Mbuti 217:Bantu 110:Rimba 106:Mbuti 98:Bantu 57:bands 1485:Kiga 1458:Bila 1378:Punu 1358:Ngom 1291:Bofi 1263:Baka 1232:Asoa 1227:Lese 943:and 847:The 830:The 813:The 776:The 759:The 734:The 704:and 681:The 665:Kiga 663:and 653:The 632:Nsua 629:The 601:Bila 593:The 573:Asoa 568:Asoa 565:The 549:Lese 541:The 516:Yasa 500:Punu 465:Ngom 461:Koya 456:Kola 453:The 429:Koya 425:Kola 417:The 396:Bofi 364:Baka 343:Baka 340:The 294:The 272:, a 219:and 151:and 139:and 114:Punu 96:and 94:Baka 1421:Aka 1156:In 878:Ila 819:of 788:Cwa 782:or 771:D20 746:Cwa 740:or 718:Lia 693:Cwa 687:or 635:of 617:Twa 544:EfĂ© 427:or 376:AKA 297:Aka 244:Twa 159:). 102:Aka 83:or 1597:: 1129:. 1003:. 880:, 802:, 798:, 510:, 506:, 502:, 498:, 494:, 490:, 276:. 135:, 1400:? 1194:e 1187:t 1180:v 1018:. 955:. 861:. 844:. 827:. 810:. 786:( 756:. 744:( 691:( 667:. 603:. 551:. 467:. 439:. 346:( 153:B 149:A 20:)

Index

Pygmy languages

Cavalli-Sforza
southern Twa
Congo Pygmies
hunter-gatherer
bands
Congo forest
Merritt Ruhlen
Nilo-Saharan
Niger–Kordofanian
Mbenga
Baka
Bantu
Aka
Mbuti
Rimba
Punu
Late Stone Age
hunter-gatherer
African rainforest
Central Sudanic
Ubangian
Bantu languages
Y-DNA lineages
A
B
haplogroup E
Roger Blench
blacksmiths

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