Eastern Sudanic Languages

To these, Christopher Ehret controversially adds Berta . Other possible but unconfirmed members are Meroitic and Oropom .

Nubian (and possibly Meroitic) give Eastern Sudanic the earliest written attestations of any sub-Saharan African language; however, its largest branch by far is Nilotic, spread by extensive and comparatively recent conquests throughout East Africa . Before the spread of Nilotic, Eastern Sudanic was centered in present-day Sudan (although the name refers to the region of Sudan , not the country, as opposed to Central Sudanic .)

kutuk'', "three" ''---(ko)TVS-(Vg)'', "fish" ''---ku-lug-ut, ---kVl(t)''.

SUBCLASSIFICATIONS

Bender 1982 (as described by Ruhlen 1987, and followed by the Ethnologue ):

Eastern branch:

--- Nubian

--- Surma

--- Nara

--- Eastern Jebel

Western branch:

--- Nyimang

--- Temein

--- Tama

--- Daju

Nilotic

Kuliak

Ehret 2001 (who terms them "Eastern Sahelian"):

Astaboran

--- Nara

--- Western Astaboran

-- Nubian

-- Taman

Kir-Abbaian

--- Jebel

-- Eastern Jebel

-- Berta

--- Kir

-- Nuba Mountains (ie Nyimang)

-- Daju

-- Surma-Nilotic

- Surmic (ie Surma)

- Nilotic

Rub Languages (ie Kuliak)

SOURCES

M. L. Bender. "Some Nilo-Saharan isoglosses". ed. Thilo Schadeberg, M. L. Bender, ''Nilo-Saharan: Proceedings of the First Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium, Leiden, Sept. 8-10, 1980.'' Foris: Dordrecht 1981.

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Eastern Sudanic Languages