Aka people

The distribution of Congo Pygmies and their languages according to Bahuchet (2006). The southern Twa are not shown.

The Aka or Biaka (also Bayaka, Babenzele)^[1] are a nomadic Mbenga pygmy people. They live in south-western Central African Republic and in northern Republic of the Congo. They are related to the Baka people of Cameroon, Gabon, northern Congo, and southwestern Central African Republic.

Unlike the Mbuti pygmies of the eastern Congo (who speak only the language of the tribes with whom they are affiliated), the Aka speak their own language along with whichever of the approximately 15 Bantu peoples they are affiliated.

In 2003, the oral traditions of the Aka were proclaimed one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. They were featured in the July 1995 National Geographic article "Ndoki: the Last Place on Earth",^[2] and a 3-part TV series.^[3]^[4]

^ The Aka call themselves Baaka (which means Aka people) and their language Aka. In the Lobaye region, these become Bayaka and Yaka due to epenthesis whenever there is no consonant starting a syllable. In Bagandu, the forms are Biaka and Diaka, and in the Sangha River region, Babenjelé and Aka. (It is not clear if these are endonyms or exonyms.) The names in Sango and Lingala are Ba(m)benga and Beka. (Duke, 2001, Aka as a Contact Language.)
^ Michael Nichols (2001). "Gallery: Ndoki: The Last Place on Earth". Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
^ Watson, Fay (8 July 2019). "The Last Pygmies on Channel 4: What is Extreme Tribe about?". Express.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019.
^ "Extreme Tribe: The Last Pygmies: All the details about the documentary". inews.co.uk. 22 July 2019.

[1] The Aka call themselves Baaka (which means Aka people) and their language Aka. In the Lobaye region, these become Bayaka and Yaka due to epenthesis whenever there is no consonant starting a syllable. In Bagandu, the forms are Biaka and Diaka, and in the Sangha River region, Babenjelé and Aka. (It is not clear if these are endonyms or exonyms.) The names in Sango and Lingala are Ba(m)benga and Beka. (Duke, 2001, Aka as a Contact Language.)

[2] Michael Nichols (2001). "Gallery: Ndoki: The Last Place on Earth". Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2008-07-13.

[3] Watson, Fay (8 July 2019). "The Last Pygmies on Channel 4: What is Extreme Tribe about?". Express.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019.

[4] "Extreme Tribe: The Last Pygmies: All the details about the documentary". inews.co.uk. 22 July 2019.

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