Hina language

The Mina language, also known by the names Hina and Besleri, is a Chadic language spoken in Northern Cameroon by 10,000 people. Speakers of Mina are generally bilingual, with Fulfulde (Fula) being the second language. Fulfulde is often joined by French as a third language in educated speakers.[1]

Not to be confused with Hinna language.
Mina
Hina
Besleri
Native toCameroon
RegionFar North Region
Native speakers
11,000 (2000)[1]
Dialects
  • Besleri
  • Jɨŋjɨŋ
  • Gamdugun
Language codes
ISO 639-3hna
Glottologmina1276

Dialects

Frajzyngier & Johnston (2005) list three Mina dialects: Marbak, Kefedjevreng and Dzundzun. Ethnologue also lists three: Besleri, Jingjing (Dzumdzum), Gamdugun. While the correspondence of "Jingjing" and "Dzundzun" is clear, the identity of the others is not. Mutual intelligibility between dialects is difficult to ascertain, but Frajzyngier & Johnston (2005:3) demonstrate one-way intelligibility between Dzundzun and Mina (presumably meaning the Marbak dialect).

Notes
  1. Mina at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)

References
  • Frajzyngier, Zygmunt & Johnston, Eric. (2005). A Grammar of Mina. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
  • Newman, Paul. (1992). "Chadic Languages." In: Bright, William. International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.


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