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In most classifications, the Eastern Sudanic languages are a group of nine families of languages that may constitute a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Eastern Sudanic languages are spoken from southern Egypt to northern Tanzania.

Quick Facts Geographic distribution, Linguistic classification ...
Eastern Sudanic
(disputed)
Geographic
distribution
Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Chad, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Linguistic classificationNilo-Saharan?
  • Eastern Sudanic
Subdivisions
Language codes
ISO 639-5sdv
GlottologNone
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Eastern Sudanic languages:
* Group k (orange)
* Group n (yellow)
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Nubian (and possibly Meroitic) gives Eastern Sudanic some of the earliest written attestations of African languages. However, the 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. The name "East Sudanic" refers to the eastern part of the region of Sudan where the country of Sudan is located, and contrasts with Central Sudanic and Western Sudanic (modern Mande, in the Niger–Congo family).

Lionel Bender (1980) proposes several Eastern Sudanic isoglosses (defining words), such as *kutuk "mouth", *(ko)TVS-(Vg) "three", and *ku-lug-ut or *kVl(t) "fish".

In older classifications, such as that of Meinhof (1911), the term was used for the eastern Sudanic languages, largely equivalent to modern Nilo-Saharan sans Nilotic, which is the largest constituent of modern Eastern Sudanic.

Güldemann (2018) considers East Sudanic to be undemonstrated at the current state of research. He only accepts the evidence for a connection between the Nilotic and Surmic languages as "robust", while he states that Rilly's evidence (see below) for the northern group comprising Nubian, Nara, Nyima, Taman and Meroitic "certainly look[s] promising".[1] Glottolog (2023) does not accept even a Surmic–Nilotic relationship.

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Internal classification

There are several different classifications of East Sudanic languages.

Bender (2000)

Lionel Bender assigns the languages into two branches, depending on whether the 1sg pronoun ("I") has a /k/ or an /n/:

Eastern 
Sudanic 
Northern
 (k languages) 
Southern
 (n languages) 

Rilly (2009)

Claude Rilly (2009:2)[2] provides the following internal structure for the Eastern Sudanic languages.

Starostin (2015)

Starostin, using lexicostatistics, finds strong support for Bender's Northern branch, but none for the Southern branch.[3] Eastern Sudanic as a whole is rated a probable working model, pending proper comparative work, while the relationship between Nubian, Tama, and Nara is beyond reasonable doubt.

Eastern 
Sudanic 

Nyima is not part of the northern group, though it appears to be closest to it. (For one thing, its pronouns align well with the northern (Astaboran) branches.) Surmic, Nilotic, and Temein share a number of similarities, including in their pronouns, but not enough to warrant classifying them together in opposition to Astaboran without proper comparative work. Jebel and Daju also share many similarities with Surma and Nilotic, though their pronominal systems are closer to Astaboran.

Inclusion of Kuliak and Berta is not supported. Similarities with Kuliak may be due to both being Nilo-Saharan families, whereas Berta and Jebel form a sprachbund.

A similar classification was given in Starostin (2014):[4]

  • Eastern Sudanic
    • Tama-Nara-Nubian branch
    • Surmic branch
      • Northern Surmic (= Majang)
      • Southern Surmic
        • Southwest Surmic
        • Southeast Surmic
    • Nilotic branch
      • Northern Nilotic
        • Western Nilotic
        • Eastern Nilotic
      • Southern Nilotic
    • Daju
    • Nyimang
    • Temein
    • Jebel

Blench (2019, 2021)

Roger Blench (2019)[5]:18 and (2021),[6] like Starostin, only finds support for Bender's Northern branch. Blench proposes the following internal structure, supported by morphological evidence.

Dimmendaal & Jakobi (< 2020)

Dimmendaal & Jakobi (2020:394),[7] published in 2020 but written some times earlier, retains Bender's Southern branch; they also accept Berta:

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Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages (excluding Nilotic and Surmic languages):[8]

More information Classification, Language ...
ClassificationLanguage12345678910
NaraNara (Nera)dōkkūūàriɡáàsāānáʃōōnáwiitadáátàjāāriɡáà (5+ 2)  ?dèssèná (5+ 3) ?lùfūttá-màdāā (10–1)  ?lùfūk
Nubian, WesternMidob Nubianpàrciə̀ddítáasíèejítéccíkórcíòlòttìídíyíúkúdí / úfúdítímmíjí
Nubian, NorthernNobiin (1)weː˥ru˥wwo˥tu˥sko˥ke˥mso˥di˧dʒɡo˥rdʒo˥ko˧lo˧di˥dwo˥o˧sko˧ddi˥me˥
Nubian, NorthernNobiin (2)wèer/ wéerúwwótúskú / tískókémsódìj / dìjìɡórjókòlòdídwóòskòd / òskòdidímé
Nubian, Central, Hill, Kadaru-GhulfanKadarubèèòrótèɟɟúkkèɲɟútìccʊ́kɔ́rʃʊ́kɔ́ladʊ́ɪ̀d̪d̪ɔ́wìɪd̪ɔ́bùɽè
Nubian, Central, Hill, Kadaru-GhulfanGhulfanbɛróratóǰukkɪ́ɲuʈiʃúkwúrʃukwalátɪ́dduwìítbuɽé
Nubian, Central, Hill, UnclassifiedDillingbeeoreetujjuŋ j = dʒ or ɟ ?kimmiɲiticci c = tʃ or c ?kʷarcukʷaladɪddɪwitbure
NyimangAfittiàndáàrmákàcúpkòrsíkmúlmàndármàrámdùváàdìsólòtúmbùrà
NyimangAma (Nyimang)ɲálāārbāāsákùd̪òmūlkūrʃkūlād̪èd̪òwìèd̪òfòɽó
Tama, MararitMararit (Mararet)kára~kún / karrewarɪ / warreètte~ítí / atayekow / ɡawmáai / mayetúur / tuurkul / kuurikàkàwák / kokuak (4+ 4)kàrkʌ́s / kekeristók / toɡ
Tama, Tama-SungorSungor (Assangori)kurwáriécàkúsmásitɔ̀rkálkíbísúkùmɛ̀r
Tama, Tama-SungorTama (1)kúˑrwárííɕíkús /kusmassi / masitɔˑ́rkâlkímísúkūmír
Tama, Tama-SungorTama (2)kʊ́rʊ́wɛ̀rːɛ̀ɪ̀cːáʔkʊʃmasɛːt̪ɔ́rːkəlkíbìsʊ́kːʊ́mɛ̀ːr
Daju, Eastern DajuLiguri Daju (Logorik)nɔhɔrɔkpɛtdaxkɔdɔstɛspɛtmdɛkkɔskɔdɔs (2 x 3)tɛspɛtkɔdɔs (4 + 3)tɛspɛttɛspɛt (4 + 4)mdɛktɛspɛt (5 + 4)saʔasɛɲ
Daju, Eastern DajuShatt Damamnúuxùpɨ̀dàxkòdòstèspètmɨ̀dɨ̀káarànpàxtíndìɲkòs(s)èndàŋ tèspédèspè {four.four}dábàs(s)éndàŋ ~bây.núuxùàsìɲ
Daju, Western DajuDar Dadju Dajumùnɡúnfìdà /pîdakòdɔ̀stɛ̀spɛ̀tmòdùkàràŋfàktíndíkòsóndábìstóndáàsíŋ
Daju, Western DajuDar Sila Daju (1)ùŋɡʊ̀nbìdàkkòdòstìʃɛ̀tmùdùk(ʔ)àràn ~ (ʔ)àrânfáktíndìkòohándàbìstándààsîŋ
Daju, Western DajuDar Sila Daju (2)ʊ́ŋɡʊ́nbíd̪ákkɔ̀d̪ɔst̪ɪ̀ʃɛ́ːθmúd̪ukárān̪fáθɪ́nd̪ɪ́kɔ̀ánd̪abɪ̀sθánd̪aásːɪŋ
Eastern Jebel, GaamGaahmɡ (Tabi) (1)t̪āmánd̪áāɡɡɔ́ðɔ̄yə̄ə̄sə́áás-ááman (lit: 'hand')t̪ə́ld̪ìɡɡíd̪iɡɡ-ɔ́ðɔ̄ (lit: 'eyes-two')íd̪iɡ-dáāɡɡ (lit: 'eyes-three')íd̪iɡ-yə̄ə̄sə́ (lit: 'eyes-four')ə́sēɡ-dí (lit: 'hands-also')
Eastern Jebel, GaamGaahmɡ (Tabi) (2)tamandiɔk / diakoða / ʔodayɛsu /yɛzanʌsumʌntɛltɛk /tɛldɛktauðuk / idakʼdiak (5 + 2)kurbaiti /idukʼʔoda (5 + 3)akaitɛn / idukʼyɛsu (5 + 4)ʔasiɡdi
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