Languages of Sudan

[vijayjohn]

Sudan is a country where a wide variety of languages are spoken in addition to English and Arabic. They include the Semitic language Tigre, the Cushitic language Beja (both near the Eritrean border), the Chadic language Hausa, Adamawa Fulfulde (a variety of the Fula language, closely related to Wolof and spoken in the southwestern and southeastern parts of the country), the Kordofanian languages (a geographical grouping), and various Nilo-Saharan languages (not really a reliable genealogical grouping and possibly even overlapping with Kordofanian). There is also an Omotic language called Ganza, specifically in the Mao subgroup, straddling the border with Ethiopia.

The Nilo-Saharan languages consist of languages classified as Eastern Sudanic here, especially from the "northern" part of this group, as well as:
Fur near the Chadian border;
Berta straddling the border with Ethiopia;
the Central Sudanic (Bongo-Bagirmi) languages Yulu and Tar Gula near the point where Sudan borders both South Sudan and the Central African Republic;
apparently another Central Sudanic language called Aja nearby;
the Maban languages Masalit and Maba due to spillover from across the border in Chad;
the Komuz languages Komo, Uduk (both near northeastern South Sudan), and Gumuz (near Ethiopia);
and the Saharan languages Zaghawa (due to proximity with Chad) and Kanuri (apparently due to immigration from West Africa).

The languages in the Nuba Mountains to the south that are collectively designated by the name "Kordofanian" include the Kadu languages. The Kadu languages are sometimes grouped with Nilo-Saharan, although this is controversial, as is the Nilo-Saharan family as a whole.

[vijayjohn]

All of the Nubian and Nyima languages are spoken in Sudan as are almost all of the Taman languages. Miisiirii, Sungor, and Tama are all spoken in Sudan (mainly Darfur) as well as across the border in Chad. In addition, Dinka, Shilluk, and the Burun languages are spoken in Sudan as well as South Sudan. However, North Burun is apparently spoken only in Sudan. The Eastern Jebel and Temein languages are also spoken exclusively in Sudan, as are the Daju languages Liguri (in the Nuba Hills) and Nyala (in Darfur).

In addition to the Kadu languages, the Kordofanian languages also include the languages of the Talodi, Heiban, Lafofa, Rashad, and Katla families. All five of these, unlike the Kadu family, are sometimes (and were historically) considered Niger-Congo. It has been suggested that the Talodi and Heiban languages are closely related. A similar suggestion has also been made for Rashad and Katla although the Heiban languages separate them geographically from one another. The Rashad languages are spoken furthest to the northeast and Lafofa furthest to the south. The Kadu languages are spoken even further south as well as to the west.