Kimba language

The Kimba languages (Tsikimba; or the Kambari II languages) are a group of Kainji languages of Nigeria spoken by the Kambari people. The languages are Kimba (Tsikimba), Gaushi (Agaushi), and Wenci (Ngwunci).

Kimba
Tsikimba
Native to	Nigeria
Region	Niger State
Ethnicity	Kambari
Native speakers	100,000 (2004)^[1]
Language family	Niger–Congo? Benue–Congo Kainji Kambari Kimba
Dialects	Kimba (Tsikimba) Gaushi (Agaushi) Wenci (Ngwunci)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	kdl
Glottolog	tsik1238

Kimba
People	Akimba
Language	Tsɨkimba

Gaushi
People	Agaushi
Language	Tsɨgaushi

Wənci
Person	Mawunci
People	Ŋwənci
Language	Tsuwənci

Languages

There are three languages: Kimba (Tsikimba), Gaushi (Agaushi), and Wənci (Ngwunci). Roger Blench considers Gaushi (Agaushi, Ashe) and Wenci (Ngwunci) to be distinct languages.^[2]

The Kimba language (Tsikimba) has three dialects: Auna, Yumu and Wara.

The Ngwunci language has two dialects: Agwara (tsu-saweni) and Rofia (tsu-ɓʷəshi).^[3] The Kimba language (Tsikimba) is spoken in Niger State (Magama, Mashigu, and Mariga LGA's, Auna and Wara Areas, East of Lake Kainji on the Niger River) and Kebbi State (Ngaski LGA, Southwest of Lake Kainji).

References

1. Kimba at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Roger Blench, 2010. The Kambari languages
3. Blench, Roger (2012). "The Kainji languages of northwestern and central Nigeria" (PDF). Cambridge: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.