U̠t-Ma'in language
# 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):

| 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.

