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)

Ut Main
Native to	Nigeria
Region	Kebbi State, Niger State, Sokoto State, Zamfara State
Native speakers	(36,000 cited 1992)[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo Kainji Northwest Kainji Ut Main
Language codes
ISO 639-3	gel
Glottolog	kagf1238

Names

Names for the u̠t-Ma'in peoples and languages from Blench (2012):^[2]

Hausa name	c-Lela name	People	Language
Fakkawa	Pək-nu	Kag-ne	ǝt-Kag
Fakkawa	Pək-nu	əs-Us	ǝt-Us
Gelawa	Geeri-ni	a-Jiir	ǝt-Jiir
Zuksun	Wipsi-ni	a-Zuksun	ǝt-Zuksun
Kukumawa	Wipsi-ni	əs-Fer	ǝt-Fer
Kelawa	Keri-ni	Kər-ni	ǝt-Kər
Tuduwa	ǝd-Gwan	a-Ror	ǝt-ma-Ror
Kuluwa	?	a-Koor	ǝt-ma-Koor

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.