Eastern Sudanic languages


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.
Nubian 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.
Lionel Bender proposes several Eastern Sudanic isoglosses, such as *kutuk "mouth", *TVS- "three", and *ku-lug-ut or *kVl "fish".
In older classifications, such as that of Meinhof, 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.
Glottolog does not accept that a relationship has been demonstrated between any of the nine families of Eastern Sudanic, nor their connection to a broader Nilo-Saharan phylum.
Güldemann considers East Sudanic to be undemonstrated at the current stage 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 for the northern group comprising Nubian, Nara, Nyima, Taman and Meroitic "certainly look promising".

Internal classification

There are two recent classifications of East Sudanic languages.

Bender (2000)

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

Rilly (2009)

Claude Rilly 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. 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.
Nyima is not part of the northern group, though it appears to be closest to it. 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.

Blench (2019)

Blench proposes the following internal structure for East Sudanic, supported by morphological evidence.

Numerals

Comparison of numerals in individual languages :
ClassificationLanguage12345678910
Naradōkkūūàriɡáàsāānáʃōōnáwiitadáátàjāāriɡáà ?dèssèná ?lùfūttá-màdāā ?lùfūk
Nubian, Westernpàrciə̀ddítáasíèejítéccíkórcíòlòttìídíyíúkúdí / úfúdítímmíjí
Nubian, Northern weː˥ru˥wwo˥tu˥sko˥ke˥mso˥di˧dʒɡo˥rdʒo˥ko˧lo˧di˥dwo˥o˧sko˧ddi˥me˥
Nubian, Northern wèer/ wéerúwwótúskú / tískókémsódìj / dìjìɡórjókòlòdídwóòskòd / òskòdidímé
Nubian, Central, Hill, Kadaru-Ghulfanbèèòrótèɟɟúkkèɲɟútìccʊ́kɔ́rʃʊ́kɔ́ladʊ́ɪ̀d̪d̪ɔ́wìɪd̪ɔ́bùɽè
Nubian, Central, Hill, Kadaru-Ghulfanbɛróratóǰukkɪ́ɲuʈiʃúkwúrʃukwalátɪ́dduwìítbuɽé
Nubian, Central, Hill, Unclassifiedbeeoreetujjuŋ j = dʒ or ɟ ?kimmiɲiticci c = tʃ or c ?kʷarcukʷaladɪddɪwitbure
Nyimangàndáàrmákàcúpkòrsíkmúlmàndármàrámdùváàdìsólòtúmbùrà
Nyimangɲálāārbāāsákùd̪òmūlkūrʃkūlād̪èd̪òwìèd̪òfòɽó
Tama, Mararitkára~kún / karrewarɪ / warreètte~ítí / atayekow / ɡawmáai / mayetúur / tuurkul / kuurikàkàwák / kokuak kàrkʌ́s / kekeristók / toɡ
Tama, Tama-Sungorkurwáriécàkúsmásitɔ̀rkálkíbísúkùmɛ̀r
Tama, Tama-Sungor kúˑrwárííɕíkús /kusmassi / masitɔˑ́rkâlkímísúkūmír
Tama, Tama-Sungor kʊ́rʊ́wɛ̀rːɛ̀ɪ̀cːáʔkʊʃmasɛːt̪ɔ́rːkəlkíbìsʊ́kːʊ́mɛ̀ːr
Daju, Eastern Dajunɔhɔrɔkpɛtdaxkɔdɔstɛspɛtmdɛkkɔskɔdɔs tɛspɛtkɔdɔs tɛspɛttɛspɛt mdɛktɛspɛt saʔasɛɲ
Daju, Eastern Dajunúuxùpɨ̀dàxkòdòstèspètmɨ̀dɨ̀káarànpàxtíndìɲkòsèndàŋ tèspédèspè dábàséndàŋ ~bây.núuxùàsìɲ
Daju, Western Dajumùnɡúnfìdà /pîdakòdɔ̀stɛ̀spɛ̀tmòdùkàràŋfàktíndíkòsóndábìstóndáàsíŋ
Daju, Western Daju ùŋɡʊ̀nbìdàkkòdòstìʃɛ̀tmùdùkàràn ~ àrânfáktíndìkòohándàbìstándààsîŋ
Daju, Western Daju ʊ́ŋɡʊ́nbíd̪ákkɔ̀d̪ɔst̪ɪ̀ʃɛ́ːθmúd̪ukárān̪fáθɪ́nd̪ɪ́kɔ̀ánd̪abɪ̀sθánd̪aásːɪŋ
Eastern Jebel, Gaam t̪āmánd̪áāɡɡɔ́ðɔ̄yə̄ə̄sə́áás-ááman t̪ə́ld̪ìɡɡíd̪iɡɡ-ɔ́ðɔ̄ íd̪iɡ-dáāɡɡ íd̪iɡ-yə̄ə̄sə́ ə́sēɡ-dí
Eastern Jebel, Gaam tamandiɔk / diakoða / ʔodayɛsu /yɛzanʌsumʌntɛltɛk /tɛldɛktauðuk / idakʼdiak kurbaiti /idukʼʔoda akaitɛn / idukʼyɛsu ʔasiɡdi