u̠t-Ma'in language
u̠t-Ma'in or Fakai is a Northwest Kainji dialect continuum spoken by 36,000 people in Nigeria. (The letter ⟨u̠⟩ is /ə/.) There are numerous rather divergent dialects:
- Kag (Puku, Fakanchi, Et-Kag)
- Jiir (Gelanchi, Et-Jiir)
- Kur (Kere, Kar, Keri-Ni, Kelli-Ni, Kelanchi, Kelinci)
- Zuksun (Zussun, Et-Zuksun)
- Ror (Et-Maror, Tudanchi, Er-Gwar)
- Fer (Fere, Et-Fer, Wipsi-Ni, Kukum)
- Us (Et-Us)
- Koor (Kulu)
Names
Names for the u̠t-Ma'in peoples and languages from Blench (2012):
Geographic distribution
The Ut-Ma'in language is spoken mainly in Kebbi State (especially Fakai) and Sokoto State (Kebbe) but also in Niger State (Kontagora) and Zamfara State.