Western Nilotic languages

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Western Nilotic
Geographic distribution	southwestern Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, northeastern Congo (DRC), northern Uganda, southwestern Kenya, northern Tanzania
Linguistic classification	Nilo-Saharan? Eastern Sudanic? Southern Eastern? Nilotic Western Nilotic
Subdivisions	Dinka–Nuer–Reel Luo Burun?
Language codes
Glottolog	`west2493`

The Western Nilotic languages are one of the three primary branches of the Nilotic languages, along with the Eastern Nilotic languages and Southern Nilotic languages; Themselves belonging to the Eastern Sudanic subfamily of Nilo-Saharan.^[1] The about 22 (SIL estimate) Western Nilotic languages are spoken in an area ranging from southwestern Ethiopia and South Sudan via northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Uganda to southwestern Kenya (with one of the Luo languages extending into northern Tanzania).

Families

The Western Nilotic languages are Nilotic languages, which themselves are part of the Kir–Abbaian and Eastern Sudan subfamilies of the much larger Nilo-Saharan language family.

The much larger Nilo-Saharan languages, which Western Nilotic is part of.

Subdivisions

Western Nilotic is divided into two main clusters: Dinka–Nuer and Luo.^[2] The Luo Languages are languages spoken by the Luo peoples. They include but are not fully limited to, Shilluk, Luwo, Thuri, Belanda Bor, Burun, Päri, Anuak, and Southern Luo. Although mostly being considered a Western Nilotic language and part of the Luo language group, the Burun languages are thought by linguist Roger Blench as a fourth subgroup of Nilotic.^[3] The Dinka-Nuer Languages are the larger of the two subgroups and are spoken primarily in South Sudan. These languages include the Dinka language, Nuer, and Atuot. It is also popular belief of linguists that Burun is a third subgroup of Western Nilotic.^[4]

Dinka–Nuer (Nuer–Reel (Atuot), Dinka or Thuongjang)
Luo (Shilluk, Luwo (Jur), Thuri, Belanda Bor, Burun (Northern and Southern), Päri, Anuak, Southern Luo)

References

^ "Nilotic". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
^ Trommer, Jochen. "Western Nilotic Languages" (PDF).
^ Roger Blench (2012) Nilo-Saharan Language List
^ "Burun". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2016-10-29.

Eastern Sudanic languages

Part of the proposed Nilo-Saharan language family

Northern k languages

Nubian

Birgid Dongolawi Kenzi Midob Nobiin Old Nubian
Hill Nubian	Dair Dilling El Hugeirat Ghulfan Haraza Kadaru Karko Wali

Nara

Nara

North	Majang
Southeast	Kwegu Meʼen Mursi Suri
Southwest	Baale Didinga Murle Laarim Tennet

Eastern Jebel

Temein

Daju

Eastern	Logorik Shatt
Western	Beigo Daju Mongo Nyolge Nyala Sila

Nilotic

Large group listed below

Nilotic languages

Eastern

Bari	Bari Kuku Mandari
Teso–Turkana	Karamojong Teso Toposa Turkana Nyangatom
Lotuko	Dongotono Lango (South Sudan) Lokoya Lopit Otuho
Ongamo–Maa	Maasai Ngasa Samburu Camus