Tikar language

Tikar
Native to	Cameroon
Ethnicity	Tikar, Bedzan
Native speakers	110,000 (2005)
Language family	Niger–Congo Atlantic–Congo Benue–Congo (unclassified) Tikar
Dialects	Ndobo Bedzan (Medzan)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	tik
Glottolog	tika1246

Tikar is a Benue–Congo language of uncertain classification spoken in Cameroon by the Bankim, Ngambe, and related Tikar peoples, as well as by the Bedzan Pygmies. Blench (2011) states that the little evidence available suggests that it is most closely related to the Mambiloid and Dakoid languages.

Variants of the name are Tikali, Tikar-East, Tikari, Tingkala.

A Bandobo variety (Ndobo, Ndob, Ndome) may be a separate language. Less divergent dialects are Twumwu (Tumu) in Bankim, Tige in Ngambe, Nditam, Kong, Mankim, Gambai, and Bedzan.

References

• Blench, Roger, 2011. 'The membership and internal structure of Bantoid and the border with Bantu'. Bantu IV, Humboldt University, Berlin.