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Help[Facts] Re: west African surnames
in reply to a message by Leslie Webster
Did they actually use surnames as we know them? Clan names, yes, but it's not quite the same thing.
You might well be fairly safe if you are careful to stick to the same language family - don't mix Nilotic and Proto-Bantu names in the same village without a good reason.
I'd really advise you to try two things: first, find a decent university near you with a department of West African language and culture, and contact them with your request; and if that doesn't help, find the address of a university or the national library or museum (I'm sure they'll have one of some kind) in Cameroun and ask them for references.
All the best
You might well be fairly safe if you are careful to stick to the same language family - don't mix Nilotic and Proto-Bantu names in the same village without a good reason.
I'd really advise you to try two things: first, find a decent university near you with a department of West African language and culture, and contact them with your request; and if that doesn't help, find the address of a university or the national library or museum (I'm sure they'll have one of some kind) in Cameroun and ask them for references.
All the best
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