kom

Kom is a term that can refer to multiple, distinct topics in language, culture, and geography. The most widely recognized use is the Kom language, which is coded kom in the ISO 639-3 standard. Kom is spoken by the Kom people in the Northwest Region of Cameroon and in adjacent areas of Nigeria. It is a Niger-Congo language within the Grassfields subgroup, with several dialects and varying levels of literacy among its speakers. The language is typically transmitted orally, though efforts exist to document and promote literacy through education and bilingual media.

The Kom people are an ethnolinguistic group primarily located in Cameroon, with communities in nearby regions. They have a long history in the Cameroon highlands and maintain cultural traditions, social structures, and oral literature that contribute to the region’s cultural diversity. In modern settings, many Kom speakers are bilingual, using English in the Northwest Region of Cameroon and French in other parts of the country.

Beyond language and ethnicity, Kom also appears as a proper noun in various contexts. It is used as a surname in different cultures and can function as a place name in multiple countries, though the exact locations or families associated with the name vary by region. Because of these diverse uses, the meaning of “Kom” is typically clarified by surrounding context.