The Languages of Africa is a seminal 1963 book of essays by Joseph Greenberg, in which he sets forth a genetic classification of African languages that, with some changes, continues to be the most commonly used one today. It is an expanded and extensively revised version of his 1955 work Studies in African Linguistic Classification, which was itself a compilation of eight articles which Greenberg had published in the Southwestern Journal of Anthropology between 1949 and 1954. It was first published in 1963 as Part II of the International Journal of American Linguistics, Vol. 29, No. 1; however, its second edition of 1966, in which it was published (by Indiana University, Bloomington: Mouton & Co., The Hague) as an independent work, is more commonly cited. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Joseph Greenberg may refer to one of The linguist Joseph H. Greenberg The director of Yiddish-language films, better known as Joseph Green This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The term African languages refers to the approximately 1800 languages spoken in Africa. ... Indiana University may refer to: the Indiana University system Indiana University of Pennsylvania This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Its author describes it as based on three fundamentals of method:

• "The sole relevance in comparison of resemblances involving both sound and meaning in specific forms."
• "Mass comparison as against isolated comparisons between pairs of languages."
• "Only linguistic evidence is relevant in drawing conclusions about classification."

The second point, mass comparison, is controversial in historical linguistics, particularly as practiced by Greenberg. The third is completely uncontroversial in modern times, and is directed against previous African linguists (notably Meinhof) who had classified languages on typological and even racial grounds. Mass lexical comparison or mass comparison is a controversial method developed by the Joseph H. Greenberg to find genetic relationships among languages in the remote past, beyond the limits of the traditional comparative method, or in situations where there are too many languages to practically apply the latter without many... Historical linguistics (also diachronic linguistics or comparative linguistics) is primarily the study of the ways in which languages change over time, by means of examining languages which are recognizably related through similarities such as vocabulary, word formation, and syntax, as well as the surviving records of ancient languages. ... Carl Friedrich Michael Meinhof (July 23, 1857_February 11, 1944) was a German linguist. ... The linguistic typology is the typology that classifies languages by their features. ... A race is a distinct population of humans distinguished in some way from other humans. ...

Novelties

His Niger-Congo family was substantially foreshadowed by Westermann's "Western Sudanic", but he changed the subclassification, including Fulani (as West Atlantic) and the newly postulated Adamawa-Eastern, excluding Songhai, and classifying Bantu as merely a subfamily of Benue-Congo (previously termed "Semi-Bantu"). Diedrich Hermann Westermann (June 24, 1875-May 31, 1956) was a German missionary and linguist. ... Map showing the distribution of Niger-Congo languages The Niger-Congo languages constitute one of the worlds major language families, and Africas largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. ... The Fula language is a language of West Africa, spoken by the Fula people from Senegal to Cameroon and Sudan. ... Bantu is a language family that belongs to the Niger-Congo group. ...

Semitic, Berber, Egyptian, and Cushitic had been generally accepted as members of a "Hamito-Semitic" family, while Chadic, "Nilo-Hamitic", Fulani, and Hottentot had all been controversially proposed as members. He accepted Chadic (while changing its membership), and rejected the other three, establishing to most linguists' satisfaction that they had been classified as "Hamitic" for purely typological reasons. This demonstration also led to the rejection (by him and by linguistics as a whole) of the term Hamitic as having no coherent meaning in historical linguistics; as a result, he renamed the newly reclassified family "Afro-Asiatic". This has since been emended by changing the status of "Western Cushitic", making it an independent subfamily of Afroasiatic called Omotic. The Chadic languages are a language family spoken across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, belonging to the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum; their best-known member is Hausa, the lingua franca of much of West Africa. ... The Eastern and Southern Nilotic languages were formerly widely believed to constitute a single Paranilotic (or, earlier, Nilo-Hamitic) grouping; they were believed to have arisen as a sort of mixed language combining Nilotic (modern Western Nilotic) and Hamitic (in particular, modern Cushitic) elements. ... The term Hamitic refers to peoples traditionally believed to have been descended from Ham, one of Noahs sons. ...

Following Schapera and rejecting Meinhof, he classified Hottentot as a member of the Central Khoisan languages. To Khoisan he also added the much more northerly Hatsa and Sandawe; this change remains controversial, and is widely considered inadequately founded.

His most revolutionary step was the postulation of the Nilo-Saharan phylum; this is still highly controversial, despite the publication of claimed reconstructions of the family, but is widely used. Within this, he identified a major subgroup termed Chari-Nile, containing Eastern Sudanic, Central Sudanic, Kunama, and Berta; this has been generally rejected. On a lower level, he placed "Nilo-Hamitic" firmly within Nilotic, following a suggestion of Köhler, and placed Eastern Sudanic on a firmer foundation. Chari-Nile is a now obsolete name for a subset of the language family now called Nilo-Saharan. ...

Finally, he assigned the non-Nilo-Saharan languages of the Nuba Hills of Kordofan to a single subfamily (Kordofanian), which together with Niger-Congo formed a new phylum, Congo-Kordofanian. This is generally accepted, with the exception of the "Tumtum" group, although it is unclear whether Kordofanian or Mande was the first branching. Kordofan is a former province of central Sudan. ... Several Kordofanian languages are spoken in the Nuba hills of Kordofan, in Sudan. ...

Classification

It classifies Africa's languages into four stocks not presumed to be related, as follows:

I. Congo-Kordofanian

I.A Niger-Congo

I.A.1 West Atlantic

I.A.1.a Northern: Wolof, Serer-Sin, Fulani, Serer-Non, Konyagi, Basari, Biafada, Badyara (Pajade), Dyola, Mandyak, Balante, Banyun, Nalu, Cobiana, Cassanga, Bidyogo.

I.A.1.b Southern: Temne, Baga, Landoma, Kissi, Bulom, Limba, Gola

I.A.2 Mande

I.A.2.a Western

I.A.2.a.1 Soninke, Malinke, Bambara, Dyula, Numu, Ligbi, Huela, Vai, Kono, Koranko, Khasonke, Susu, Dyalonke

I.A.2.a.2 Sya

I.A.2.a.3 Mande, Loko, Gbandi, Gbunde, Loma, Kpelle (Guerze)

I.A.2.b Eastern

I.A.2.b.1 Mano, Dan (Gio), Kweni (Guro), Mwa, Nwa.

I.A.2.b.2 Samo, Bisa, Busa

I.A.3 Voltaic

I.A.3.a Senoufo: Minianka, Tagba, Foro, Tagwana (Takponin), Dyimini, Nafana

I.A.3.b. Lobi-Dogon: Lobi, Dyan, Puguli, Gan, Gouin, Turuka, Doghosie, Doghosie-Fing, Kyan, Tara, Bwamu, Wara, Natioro, Dogon (1966: "should probably be considered a new separate subgroup. If anything, it is nearest to group c"), Kulango

I.A.3.c Grusi: Awuna, Kasena, Nunuma, Lyele, Tamprusi, Kanjaga (Bulea) (moved to group d), Degha, Siti, Kurumba (Fulse), Sisala

I.A.3.d Mossi, Dagomba, Kusasi, Nankanse, Talensi, Mamprusi, Wala, Dagari, Birifo, Namnam, Kanjaga (Bulea) (moved from group c)

I.A.3.e Tem, Kabre, Delo, Chala

I.A.3.f Bargu (Bariba)

I.A.3.g Gurma, Tobote (Basari), Kasele (Chamba), Moba

I.A.4 Kwa

I.A.4.a Kru: Bete, Bakwe, Grebo, Bassa, De, Kru (Krawi)

I.A.4.b Avatime, Nyangbo, Tafi, Logba, Likpe, Ahlo, Akposo, Lefana, Bowili, Akpafu, Santrokofi, Adele, Kebu, Anyimere, Ewe, Aladian, Avikam, Gwa, Kyama, Akye, Ari, Abe, Adyukru, Akan (Twi, Anyi, Baule, Guang, Metyibo, Abure), Ga, Adangme

I.A.4.c Yoruba, Igala

I.A.4.d Nupe, Gbari, Igbira, Gade

I.A.4.e Bini, Ishan, Kukuruku, Sobo

I.A.4.f Idoma, Agatu, Iyala

I.A.4.g Ibo

I.A.4.h Ijo

I.A.5 Benue-Congo

I.A.5.A Plateau

I.A.5.A.1

I.A.5.A.1.a Kambari, Dukawa, Dakakari, Basa, Kamuku, Reshe

I.A.5.A.1.b Piti, Janji, Kurama, Chawai, Anaguta, Buji, Amap, Gure, Kahugu, Ribina, Butawa, Kudawa

I.A.5.A.2 Afusare, Irigwe, Katab, Kagoro, Kaje, Kachicheri, Morwa, Jaba, Kamantan, Kadara, Koro, Afo

I.A.5.A.3 Birom, Ganawuri (Aten)

I.A.5.A.4 Rukuba, Ninzam, Ayu, Mada, Kaninkwom

I.A.5.A.5 Eggon, Nungu, Yeskwa

I.A.5.A.6 Kaleri, Pyem, Pai

I.A.5.A.7 Yergam, Basherawa

I.A.5.B Jukunoid: Jukun, Kentu, Nyidu, Tigong, Eregba, Mbembe, Zumper (Kutev, Mbarike), Boritsu

I.A.5.C Cross-River

I.A.5.C.1 Boki, Gayi (Uge), Yakoro

I.A.5.C.2 Ibibio, Efik, Ogoni (Kana), Andoni, Akoiyang, Ododop, Korop

I.A.5.C.3 Akunakuna, Abine, Yako, Asiga, Ekuri, Ukelle, Okpoto-Mteze, Olulomo

I.A.5.D Bantoid: Tiv, Bitare, Batu, Ndoro, Mambila, Bute, Bantu

I.A.6 Adamawa-Eastern

I.A.6.A Adamawa

I.A.6.A.1 Tula, Dadiya, Waja, Cham, Kamu

I.A.6.A.2 Chamba, Donga, Lekon, Wom, Mumbake

I.A.6.A.3 Daka, Taram

I.A.6.A.4 Vere, Namshi, Kolbila, Pape, Sari, Sewe, Woko, Kotopo, Kutin, Durru

I.A.6.A.5 Mumuye, Kumba, Gengle, Teme, Waka, Yendang, Zinna

I.A.6.A.6 Dama, Mono, Mbere, Mundang, Yasing, Mangbei, Mbum, Kpere, Lakka, Dek

I.A.6.A.7 Yungur, Mboi, Libo, Roba

I.A.6.A.8 Kam

I.A.6.A.9 Jen, Munga

I.A.6.A.10 Longuda

I.A.6.A.11 Fali

I.A.6.A.12 Nimbari

I.A.6.A.13 Bua, Nielim, Koke

I.A.6.A.14 Masa

I.A.6.B Eastern

I.A.6.B.1 Gbaya, Manja, Mbaka

I.A.6.B.2 Banda

I.A.6.B.3 Ngbandi, Sango, Yakoma

I.A.6.B.4 Zande, Nzakara, Barambo, Pambia

I.A.6.B.5 Bwaka, Monjombo, Gbanziri, Mundu, Mayogo, Bangba

I.A.6.B.6 Ndogo, Bai, Bviri, Golo, Sere, Tagbo, Feroge, Indri, Mangaya, Togoyo

I.A.6.B.7 Amadi (Madyo, Ma)

I.A.6.B.8 Mondunga, Mba (Bamanga)

I.B Kordofanian

I.B.1 Koalib: Koalib, Kanderma, Heiban, Laro, Otoro, Kawama, Shwai, Tira, Moro, Fungor

I.B.2 Tegali: Tegali, Rashad, Tagoi, Tumale

I.B.3 Talodi: Talodi, Lafofa, Eliri, Masakin, Tacho, Lumun, El Amira

I.B.4 Tumtum: Tumtum, Tuleshi, Keiga, Karondi, Krongo, Miri, Kadugli, Katcha

I.B.5 Katla: Katla, Tima

II. Nilo-Saharan

II.A Songhai

II.B Saharan

II.B.a Kanuri, Kanembu

II.B.b Teda, Daza

II.B.c Zaghawa, Berti

II.C Maban: Maba, Runga, Mimi (of Nachtigal), Mimi (of Gaudefroy-Demombynes)

II.D. Fur

II.E. Chari-Nile

II.E.1 Eastern Sudanic

II.E.1.1 Nubian

II.E.1.1.a Nile Nubian (Mahas-Fadidja and Kenuzi-Dongola)

II.E.1.1.b Kordofanian Nubian: Dair, Dilling, Gulfan, Garko, Kadero, Kundugr

II.E.1.1.c Midob

II.E.1.1.d Birked

II.E.1.2 Murle (Beir), Longarim, Didinga, Suri, Mekan, Murzu, Surma (including Tirma and Zulmanu), Masongo

II.E.1.3 Barea

II.E.1.4 Ingassana (Tabi)

II.E.1.5 Nyima, Afitti

II.E.1.6 Temein, Teis-um-Danab

II.E.1.7 Merarit, Tama, Sungor

II.E.1.8 Dagu of Darfur, Baygo, Sila, Dagu of Dar Dagu (Wadai), Dagu of Western Kordofan, Njalgulgule, Shatt, Liguri

II.E.1.9 Nilotic

II.E.1.9.a Western

II.E.1.9.a.1 Burun

II.E.1.9.a.2 Shilluk, Anuak, Acholi, Lango, Alur, Luo, Jur, Bor

II.E.1.9.a.3 Dinka, Nuer

II.E.1.9.b Eastern

II.E.1.9.b.1 Bari, Fajulu, Kakwa, Mondari

II.E.1.9.b.2a Jie, Dodoth, Karamojong, Teso, Topotha, Turkana

II.E.1.9.b.2b Masai

II.E.1.9.b.3 Southern: Nandi, Suk, Tatoga (but text says this is not a subgroup of Eastern, suggesting that this should rather be II.E.1.9.c)

II.E.1.10 Nyangiya, Teuso

II.E.2 Central Sudanic

II.E.2.1 Bongo, Baka, Morokodo, Beli, Gberi, Sara dialects (Madjinngay, Gulai, Mbai, Gamba, Kaba, Dendje, Laka), Vale, Nduka, Tana, Horo, Bagirmi, Kuka, Kenga, Disa, Bubalia

II.E.2.2 Kreish

II.E.2.3 Binga, Yulu, Kara

II.E.2.4 Moru, Avukaya, Logo, Keliko, Lugbara, Madi

II.E.2.5 Mangbetu, Lombi, Popoi, Makere, Meje, Asua

II.E.2.6 Mangbutu, Mamvu, Lese, Mvuba, Efe

II.E.2.7 Lendu

II.E.3 Berta

II.E.4 Kunama

II.F Koman/Coman: Koma, Ganza, Uduk, Gule, Gumuz, Mao

III. Afroasiatic

III.A Semitic

III.B Egyptian

III.C Berber

III.D Cushitic

III.D.1 Northern Cushitic: Beja (Bedauye)

III.D.2 Central Cushitic: Bogo (Bilin), Kamir, Khamta, Awiya, Damot, Kemant, Kayla, Quara

III.D.3 Eastern Cushitic: Saho-Afar, Somali, Galla, Konso, Geleba, Marille, (Reshiat, Arbore), Gardula, Gidole, Gowaze, Burji, Sidamo, Darasa, Kambata, Alaba, Hadya, Tambaro, Mogogodo (added 1966)

III.D.4 Western Cushitic: Janjero, Wolamo, Zala, Gofa, Basketo, Baditu, Haruro, Zaysse, Chara, Gimira, Benesho, Nao, Kaba, Shako, She, Maji, Kafa, Garo, Mocha, Anfillo (Mao), Shinasha, Bako, Amar, Bana, Dime, Gayi, Kerre, Tsamai, Doko, Dollo

III.D.5 Southern Cushitic: Burungi (Mbulungu), Goroa (Fiome), Alawa (Uwassi), Iraqw, Mbugu, Sanye, Ngomvia (added 1966)

III.E Chad

III.E.1

III.E.1.a Hausa, Gwandara

III.E.1.b Ngizim, Mober, Auyokawa, Shirawa, Bede

III.E.1.c

III.E.1.c.i Warjawa, Afawa, Diryawa, Miyawa, Sirawa

III.E.1.c.ii Gezawa, Seiyawa, Barawa of Dass

III.E.1.d

III.E.1.d.i Bolewa, Karekare, Ngamo, Gerawa, Gerumawa, Kirifawa, Dera (Kanakuru), Tangale, Pia, Pero, Chongee, Maha (added 1966)

III.E.1.d.ii Angas, Ankwe, Bwol, Chip, Dimuk, Goram, Jorto, Kwolla, Miriam, Montol, Sura, Tal, Gerka

III.E.1.d.iii Ron

III.E.2 Kotoko group: Logone, Ngala, Buduma, Kuri, Gulfei, Affade, Shoe, Kuseri

III.E.3 Bata-Margi group

III.E.3.a Bachama, Demsa, Gudo, Malabu, Njei (Kobochi, Nzangi, Zany), Zumu (Jimo), Holma, Kapsiki, Baza, Hiji, Gude (Cheke), Fali of Mubi, Fali of Kiria, Fali of Jilbu, Margi, Chibak, Kilba, Sukur, Vizik, Vemgo, Woga, Tur, Bura, Pabir, Podokwo

III.E.3.b Gabin, Hona, Tera, Jera, Hinna (Hina)

III.E.4

III.E.4.a Hina, Daba, Musgoi, Gauar

III.E.4.b Gisiga, Balda, Muturua, Mofu, Matakam

III.E.5 Gidder

III.E.6 Mandara, Gamergu

III.E.7 Musgu

III.E.8 Bana, Banana (Masa), Lame, Kulung

III.E.9

III.E.9.a Somrai, Tumak, Ndam, Miltu, Sarwa, Gulei

III.E.9.b Gabere, Chiri, Dormo, Nangire

III.E.9.c Sokoro (Bedanga), Barein

III.E.9.d Modgel

III.E.9.e Tuburi

III.E.9.f Mubi, Karbo, (added 1966: Jegu, Jonkor, Wadai-Birgid)

IV Khoisan

IV.A South African Khoisan

IV.A.1 Northern South African Khoisan

IV.A.2 Central South African Khoisan

IV.A.3 Southern South African Khoisan

IV.B Sandawe

IV.C Hatsa

The Niger-Kordofanian language family was proposed by Joseph H. Greenberg in his 1966 book Languages of Africa. ... Map showing the distribution of Niger-Congo languages The Niger-Congo languages are probably the largest group of the world in terms of different languages. ... The (West) Atlantic languages1 of West Africa are a subgroup of Niger-Congo language family. ... Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania. ... The Fula language is a language of West Africa, spoken by the Fula people from Senegal to Cameroon and Sudan. ... Temne (also known as Themne or Timne) is a Southern Atlantic language spoken in Sierra Leone by about one million first language speakers, or some 30% of the country’s population. ... The Baga languages are five related languages spoken in the coastal region of Guinea by the Baga. ... The Bullom So language, also called Mmani or Mandingi, is an endangered language spoken near the border between Guinea and Sierra Leone. ... Mande (or Manding) is the name of a group of languages which are spoken in several countries in West Africa, including Mandinka and Bambara. ... Bambara, also known as Bamanankan in the language itself, is a language spoken in Mali by as many six million people. ... The Gur languages belong to the Niger-Congo languages. ... The Senufo languages comprise ca. ... Mamara (also known as Minyanka) is a northern Senufo language spoken by about 700 000 people in southeastern Mali. ... Sucite is a Senufo language spoken in southwestern Burkina Faso by approximately 35 000 people. ... Nafaanra (sometimes written Nafaara, pronounced [Nafaãra]) is a Senufo language spoken in northwest Ghana, along the border with Cote dIvoire, east of Bondouko. ... The Dogon languages are spoken by the Dogon in Mali. ... The Kwa languages are spoken in the south-eastern part of Côte dIvoire, in Ghana, Togo and Benin, and the south-Western corner of Nigeria. ... The Kru languages belong to the Niger-Congo language family and are spoken in the area ranging from the south-east of Liberia to the east of Côte dIvoire. ... Logba is a language spoken in the south-eastern Ghana by approximately 7 500 people. ... Anlo (IPA: Aŋlo) is a dialect of the Ewe language. ... The Adele language is spoken in eastern Ghana and als well in Togo. ... Ewe (pronounced /eβe/) is a Niger-Congo language spoken in Ghana and Togo by approximately three million people (Capo 1991). ... Abé is a language of the Niger-Congo family. ... The Akan language belongs to the Kwa language family. ... Twi (pronounced chwee) is a language spoken in Ghana by about 6 million people. ... Baoule is a language spoken in Côte dIvoire. ... The Ga language is spoken in Ghana in and around Accra, in the south of Togo and in Western Nigeria. ... Adangme (also Dangme) is a language that is spoken in Ghana by 825,000 people. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Igbo is a language spoken in Nigeria by about 18 million speakers (the Ibo), especially in the southeastern region once identified as Biafra. ... The Benue-Congo group of languages constitutes the largest branch of the Niger-Congo language family, both in terms of sheer number of languages, of which 938 are known (not counting mere dialects), and in terms of speakers, numbering perhaps 550 million. ... The Ibibio language belongs to the Benue-Congo language family, which forms part of the Niger-Congo group. ... In the classification of African languages, Bantoid is a branch of the Benue-Congo subfamily of the Niger-Congo phylum. ... The Tiv language is spoken by around 2 million people in Nigeria, with a few speakers in Cameroon. ... The Adamawa-Ubangi languages are spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, southern Central African Republic, by a total of about 12 million people. ... The Adamawa languages are a group of languages scattered across the Adamawa Plateau in central Africa, in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad. ... Mbum is an African language that is spoken by about 51,000 people and, along with French, English and other tribal languages, is the official language of Cameroon. ... The Bua languages are a subgroup of the Mbum-Day subgroup of the Adamawa languages spoken in southern Chad. ... The Bua language is spoken by some 7,708 people (as of 1993) north of the Chari River around Korbol and Gabil; it is the largest member of the small Bua subgroup of the Mbum-Day subgroup of the Adamawa languages. ... The Niellim language (autonym lwaà:) is a Bua language spoken by some 5,000 people (as of 1993) along the Chari River in southern Chad. ... Sango (also spelt Sangho) is the primary language spoken in the Central African Republic: it has 5 million second-language speakers, but only 400,000 native speakers, mainly in the towns. ... Several Kordofanian languages are spoken in the Nuba hills of Kordofan, in Sudan. ... The Tagoi language (ŋɔ̹́gɔ̹́lɛ̹́) is a Kordofanian language, closely related to Tegali, spoken near the town of Rashad in southern Kordofan in Sudan, about 12 N, 31 E. It has about 13,000 speakers in total. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... The Songhay languages are a group of closely related languages/dialects centered on the Niger river, widely used as a lingua franca, particularly thanks to the medieval Songhay Empire. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... Kanuri is a Nilo-Saharan language which is spoken by about 4 million people in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. ... Teda language is a language which belongs to the Saharan subfamily of the Nilo-Saharan, spoken in Chad and Niger. ... Mimi is a name applied to several distinct and not particularly closely related Nilo-Saharan languages of the Wadai area of Chad, most commonly Amdang (Doornbos, van Bulck, Jungraithmayr) but also including two Maban languages (Nachtigal and Gaudefroy-Demombynes. ... The Fur languages constitute a small, closely related first-order subgroup within the Nilo-Saharan languages: Fur in western Sudan with 500,000 speakers and Amdang in eastern Chad (also called Mimi) with 5,000 speakers. ... Chari-Nile is a now obsolete name for a subset of the language family now called Nilo-Saharan. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Nubian language group, according to the most recent research by Bechhaus-Gerst comprises the following varieties: Nobiin (previously called Mahas or Fadicca/Fiadicca). ... Nobiin is a Nubian language spoken along the banks of the Nile river in southern Egypt and northern Sudan by approximately 495 000 people. ... SURI is the name of a sedentary pastoral tribe and its Nilo-Saharan language in SW Ethiopia, near the Sudan border. ... The rough location of the Eastern Jebel languages, in An Nil al Azraq province The Eastern Jebel languages are a small subfamily belonging to the Eastern Sudanic subgroup of Nilo-Saharan. ... Taman languages are a group of languages that are part of the Eastern Sudanic subfamily of the Nilo-Saharan languages family. ... Tama is also an alternate name for the Nama language of southern Africa. ... The Daju languages are spoken in isolated pockets across a wide area of Sudan and Chad, in parts of the regions of Kordofan, Darfur, and Wadai. ... The Nilotic languages are a group of Eastern Sudanic languages spoken across a wide area between southern Sudan and Tanzania by the Nilotic peoples, particularly associated with cattle-herding. ... The Western Nilotic languages are one of the three primary branches of the Nilotic languages, themselves belonging to the Eastern Sudanic subfamily of Nilo-Saharan. ... Luo (also known als Dholuo) is a Western Nilotic language spoken by the Luo people, numbering about 3 million. ... The Nuer language is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Nilotic group. ... The Eastern Nilotic languages are one of the three primary branches of the Nilotic languages, themselves belonging to the Eastern Sudanic subfamily of Nilo-Saharan; they are believed to have begun to diverge about 3,000 years ago, and have spread southwards from an original home in Equatoria in the... The Turkana language is the language of the Turkana people of Kenya. ... Maasai is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania by the Maasai people, numbering about 900,000. ... The Southern Nilotic languages are spoken mainly in western Kenya and northern Tanzania (with one of them, Kupsabiny or Sapiny, being spoken on the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon). ... The Kuliak languages (sometimes called Rub) - Ik, Soo, and Nyangi - are spoken by small relict communities in the mountains of northeastern Uganda. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Baguirmi language (autonym ɓarma) is the language of the Baguirmi people of Chad, belonging to the Nilo-Saharan family. ... There are several languages sometimes called Kara: Fer language (Central African Republic) Gula language (Sudan), and its subfamily, the Kara languages the Omotic Karo language of Ethiopia Gbaya Kara, a dialect of the Gbaya language (Central African Republic) Kara language of New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) Ngala language (Papua New... The Berta language is spoken in Sudan and Ethiopia, and is generally classified as a branch of Nilo-Saharan. ... The Komuz languages are a family of languages along the Sudan-Ethiopia border. ... Map showing the distribution of Afro-Asiatic languages The Afro-Asiatic languages are a language family of about 240 languages and 285 million people widespread throughout North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, and Southwest Asia. ... The Semitic languages are the northeastern subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic languages, and the only family of this group spoken in Asia. ... Afro-Asiatic - Berber The Berber languages (or Tamazight) are a group of closely related languages mainly spoken in Algeria and Morocco. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... Beja (also called Bedawi, Bedauye, To Bedawie) is an Afro-Asiatic language of the southern coast of the Red Sea, spoken by about two million nomads in parts of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea. ... The Central Cushitic, or Agaw, languages are spoken by small groups in Ethiopia and Eritrea; they include Bilin. ... Kayla, or Kaïliña is an Agaw language formerly spoken by the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews). ... The East Cushitic languages comprise more than thirty languages belonging to the Cushitic family within the Afro-Asiatic phylum. ... The Saho language is an East Cushitic language of Eritrea, spoken in the middle of the country, as well as by a small group across the border in Ethiopia. ... Afar is an East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. ... The Oromo language is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic sub-phylum. ... Konso (or Komso, Conso) is a East Cushitic language spoken in South West Ethiopia. ... The Mukogodo-Maasai (formerly Yaaku) are a people living in the Mukogodo Division of the Laikipia District of Rift Valley Province, Kenya. ... The Omotic languages are Afro-Asiatic languages spoken in northeast Africa. ... Bench (also called Gimira, considered a derogatory term) is a Northern Omotic language of the Gimojan subgroup, spoken by about 174,000 people (as of 1998) in the Kaffa region of southern Ethiopia (now the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region), around the towns of Mizan Teferi and Shewa Gimira. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro_Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... Dahalo is an endangered South Cushitic language spoken by about 400 people in Kenya. ... Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 24 million people, and as a second language by about 15 million more. ... Map showing the distribution of the Khoi-San languages. ... Sandawe is a tonal language spoken in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. ... Hadza is a language of Tanzania. ...

References

• Greenberg, Joseph H. (1963) The Languages of Africa. International journal of American linguistics, 29, 1, part 2.
• Greenberg, Joseph H. (1966) The Languages of Africa (2nd ed. with additions and corrections). Bloomington: Indiana University.