Nilotic languages

Nilotic languages form a branch of the Eastern Sudanic languages within the Nilo-Saharan classification. They are spoken chiefly in South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Eastern Sudanic languages: A proposed branch of the Nilo-Saharan languages that includes Nilotic and several other language groups. Nilotic languages are commonly classified within this broader grouping.
Dinka language: A Western Nilotic language spoken chiefly in South Sudan. Dinka is among the largest languages in the family and central to South Sudanese public life.
Proto-Nilotic: The reconstructed ancestral language from which the Nilotic languages descended. Comparison among living Nilotic languages supports reconstruction of their common ancestor.
Bantu languages: A large branch of the Niger-Congo family spoken across much of central, eastern, and southern Africa. Bantu languages neighbor Nilotic languages geographically but belong to a different established family.
Nilo-Saharan languages: A proposed language family spanning parts of northern, eastern, and central Africa; its unity remains disputed. Nilotic is often placed within this contested higher-level classification.
Nuer language: A Western Nilotic language spoken mainly in South Sudan and western Ethiopia. Nuer illustrates the family's cross-border speech communities.
Comparative method: A linguistic technique that uses systematic correspondences among languages to infer shared ancestry and reconstruct earlier forms. It provides the main evidence for grouping Nilotic languages and reconstructing Proto-Nilotic.
Cushitic languages: A branch of the Afroasiatic family spoken mainly in the Horn of Africa and nearby regions. Cushitic languages share parts of Nilotic's region without being part of its family.
Western Nilotic languages: A major branch of Nilotic languages spoken mainly in South Sudan, Sudan, and western Ethiopia. This branch includes languages such as Dinka, Nuer, and Luo.
Luo language: A Western Nilotic language spoken chiefly in western Kenya and parts of Tanzania. Its regional prominence connects Nilotic languages to Kenya's linguistic landscape.

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Great Lakes Bantu languagesCompared with: Nilotic languages neighbor Bantu varieties in parts of the Great Lakes region.