The Hill Nubian languages, also called Kordofan Nubian, are a
dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...
of
Nubian languages
The Nubian languages ( ar, لُغَات نُوبِيّة, lughāt nūbiyyah) are a group of related languages spoken by the Nubians. They form a branch of the Eastern Sudanic languages, which is part of the wider Nilo-Saharan phylum. Initially, ...
spoken by the
Hill Nubians
Hill Nubians are a group of Nubian peoples who inhabit the northern Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan state, Sudan. They speak the Hill Nubian languages. Despite their scattered presence and linguistic diversity, they all refer to themselves as ...
in the northern
Nuba Mountains
The Nuba Mountains ( ar, جبال النوبة), also referred to as the Nuba Hills, is an area located in South Kordofan, Sudan. The area is home to a group of indigenous ethnic groups known collectively as the Nuba peoples. In the Middle Ages, ...
of
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
.
Classification
The Hill Nubian languages are generally classified as being in the Central branch of the Nubian languages, one of three branches of the Nubian languages, the other two being Northern (
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...
), consisting of
Nobiin
Nobiin, or Mahas, is a Northern Nubian language of the Nilo-Saharan language family. "Nobiin" is the genitive form of ''Nòòbíí'' ("Nubian") and literally means "(language) of the Nubians". Another term used is ''Noban tamen'', meaning "the ...
, and Western (
Darfur
Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...
), consisting of
Midob. They are grouped together with
Kenzi-
Dongolawi (not seen to be closely related to Nobiin, despite their proximity) and
Birgid, a language of southwestern Sudan extinct since the 1970s. Nubian lies within the
Eastern Sudanic
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.
Nub ...
family, which is part of the
Nilo-Saharan
The Nilo-Saharan languages are a proposed family of African languages spoken by some 50–60 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers, including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of the Nile meet. T ...
phylum.
Languages
There are seven Hill Nubian languages, according to ''Ethnologue'' and Glottolog. Some of the languages have dialects. Their internal classification within Hill Nubian is not well established. Glottolog classifies Hill Nubian (Kordofan Nubian) into two branches: Eastern Kordofan Nubian and Western Kordofan Nubian, containing three and four languages respectively.
''Ethnologue'', however, only groups Kadaru and Ghulfan together, leaving the rest unclassified within Hill Nubian, as follows:
* Kadaru-Ghulfan
**
Ghulfan (also Gulfan, Uncu, Uncunwee, Wunci, Wuncimbe) – 33,000 speakers
**
Kadaru (also Kadaro, Kadero, Kaderu, Kodhin, Kodhinniai, Kodoro, Tamya) – 25,000 speakers
*
Dair
Dair is the Irish name of the seventh letter of the Ogham alphabet, ᚇ, meaning " oak". The sga, dair (Early sga, daur) is related to Welsh and to Breton . Its Proto-Indo-European root was ''*dóru'' ("tree"), possibly a deadjectival noun ...
(also Dabab, Daier, Thaminyi) – 1,024 speakers
*
Dilling (also Delen, Warkimbe, Warki) – 11,000 speakers
*
El Hugeirat (also El Hagarat) – 50 speakers
*
Karko (also Garko, Kaak, Karme, Kithonirishe, Kakenbi) – 7,000 speakers
*
Wali
A wali (''wali'' ar, وَلِيّ, '; plural , '), the Arabic word which has been variously translated "master", "authority", "custodian", "protector", is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the ...
(also Walari, Walarishe, Wele) – 9,000 speakers
Additionally, one extinct language known only from a word list of 36 words,
Haraza, is unclassified within Hill Nubian.
List of Kordofan Nubian (Hill Nubian) language varieties according to Rilly (2010:164-165):
[Rilly, Claude. 2010. ''Le méroïtique et sa famille linguistique''. Leuven: Peeters Publishers. ]
See also
*
Languages of the Nuba Mountains
The Nuba Mountains, located in the West Kordofan and South Kordofan states in the south of Sudan, are inhabited by a diverse set of populations (collectively known as Nuba peoples) speaking various languages not closely related to one another.
T ...
*
List of Northern Eastern Sudanic reconstructions (Wiktionary)
References
External links
Hill Nubian basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical DatabaseA collection of Tabaq in ELAR
More information on specific linguistic characteristics and/or variations among Hill Nubian languages
* http://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/djns/vol1/iss1/10
* http://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/djns/vol2/iss1/9
* http://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/djns/vol2/iss1/13
{{Authority control
Nubian languages
Languages of Sudan