Nilo-Saharan Languages

The nilo-Saharan languages form a group of spoken languages in sub-Saharan Africa , in the areas of the the High-Nile and the Haut-Chari of which the Nubie. According to the estimates of 1987 of Merritt Ruhlen, the nilo-Saharan languages are spoken by approximately 11 million people. This family is very heterogeneous (much more than the group however close to the nigéro-Congolese Langues) and rather prone to controversy. Few linguists were tried to work on the whole of the family, and a certain number reject this classification. A particularly problematic subject is the fastening of the branch songhaï with this family.

According to Joseph Greenberg this family subdivides itself in several branches:

the Languages komuz
the Saharan Languages (to which the Kanuri belongs)
the Langues songhaï
the Langues Maba
the Langues fur
the Langues Chari-Nile
the Langues kunama
the Langues Koma
the Langues mabiennes
the Langues chari-niliennes, classification cancelled and reconstituted in 4 branches with share

the central soudanic languages
the Kunama
the berta
soudanic languages of the east (including/understanding the Nubian Langues and the nilotic Languages)

The Ethnologist class the Shabo in the nilo-Saharan languages, but this last remainder differently not classified. He is sometimes regarded as a Isolat.

Certain linguists even classify the Langues kadu (also named languages kadugli or tumtum) in the nilo-Saharan family, while others rather classify them in the Langues kordofaniennes, like an isolate. Proposals were made to add the Mandé to it (generally regarded as pertaining to the nigéro-Congolese Langues), because of its many common points with the languages songhaï.

The Méroïtique of the Kingdom of Kouch, now extinct, was often proposed like probable member of the nilo-Saharan languages. One knows however only not enough this language to classify it with precision. One can say of it as much the Oropom of the Uganda, recently extinct, that one tried to attach to the nilotic group.

Certain tests of regrouping were carried out, especially based compared to the nigéro-Congolese group. Gregersen (1972) gathered both to train the Congo-Saharan super-family, while Blench (1995) classified the nigéro-Congolese languages like a simple subset of the nilo-Saharan languages. These theories are far from achieving the unanimity.

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