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Index / Languages /
Nilo-Saharan languages
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By language
Figures in 1000.
|
| Dinka |
3,000 |
% |
| Nuer |
1,400 |
% |
| Fur |
1,000 |
% |
|
Nubian
|
920 |
% |
|
Nobiin |
600 |
% |
|
Kenuzi-Dongola |
320 |
% |
| Shilluk |
330 |
% |
| Bari |
480 |
% |
| Masalit |
280 |
% |
| Korandje |
8 |
% |
Tedega
|
5 |
% |
| Other (63+) |
2,500 |
% |
| Total |
9,900 |
% |
By country
Figures in 1000.
|
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Sudan
|
9,500 |
24.0% |
|
Egypt
|
370 |
0.5% |
|
Algeria
|
8 |
<0.1% |
|
Libya
|
5 |
0.1% |
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Family of languages that are spoken in North African countries with territory in Sahara, most in Sudan where there are about 9.5 million. One of the Nilo-Saharan languages of Sudan is also in use in Egypt: Nubian. The one language of Libya, Tedega, belongs to a language of Chad which is unnaturally cut in two by modern borders. The language of Algeria is quite fascinating, Korandje is spoken by a people that is kind of lost deep in the desert.
There are about 200 different Nilo-Saharan languages, counting a total of 20-25 million speakers. This makes it one of the smaller language families in Africa.
Nilo-Saharan languages are then bordered to the east by Cushitic and Semitic; to the north again by Semitic; to the west and south Niger-Congo. Some scholars have suggested to merge the Niger-Congo and the Nilo-Saharan families.
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