Bulu

Bulu is a term with several unrelated meanings in different languages and contexts. In Indonesian and Malay, bulu denotes hair or fur, including body hair, animal fur, or bird plumage. It is a common noun used in everyday speech and can appear in compound terms describing hair- or fur-related features.

In Cameroon, the Bulu are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group native to central Cameroon. The Bulu language, a Central Bantu language in the Beti-Pahuin subgroup, is spoken by the Bulu people and is closely related to other Beti languages such as Ewondo and Fang. The Bulu share distinct cultural practices, social organization, and traditional knowledge, with variations across communities.

The term Bulu can also function as a surname or part of a place name in different parts of the world, reflecting separate linguistic origins from the Indonesian/Malay and Cameroonian uses. In such cases, the spelling and pronunciation may vary locally.

Because Bulu has diverse origins, it is not tied to a single topic. Clarifying the context—linguistic, ethnographic, or geographic—helps identify the intended reference.