| Eastern Nilotic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: |
southwestern Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan, northeastern Uganda, western Kenya, northern Tanzania |
| Linguistic classification: | Nilo-Saharan?
|
| Subdivisions: |
Teso–Lotuko–Maa
|
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 South Sudan. They are spoken across a large area in East Africa, ranging from Equatoria to the highlands of Tanzania. Their speakers are mostly cattle herders living in semi-arid or arid plains.
According to Vossen, they are classified as follows by the comparative method:
It is generally agreed upon that Bari forms a primary branch, but lower-level splits are less clear.