There are several different classifications of East Sudanic languages.
Bender (2000) Lionel Bender assigns the languages into two branches, depending on whether the 1st person singular
pronoun ("I") has a /k/ or an /n/: }} }} }}
Rilly (2009) Claude Rilly (2009:2) provides the following internal structure for the Eastern Sudanic languages. }} }} }} }} }} }}
Starostin (2015) Starostin, using
lexicostatistics, finds strong support for Bender's Northern branch, but none for the Southern branch. Eastern Sudanic as a whole is rated a probable working model, pending proper comparative work, while the relationship between Nubian, Tama, and Nara is beyond reasonable doubt. }}}} }} }} Nyima is not part of the northern group, though it appears to be closest to it. (For one thing, its pronouns align well with the northern (Astaboran) branches.) Surmic, Nilotic, and Temein share a number of similarities, including in their pronouns, but not enough to warrant classifying them together in opposition to Astaboran without proper comparative work. Jebel and Daju also share many similarities with Surma and Nilotic, though their pronominal systems are closer to Astaboran. Inclusion of
Kuliak and
Berta is not supported. Similarities with Kuliak may be due to both being Nilo-Saharan families, whereas Berta and Jebel form a
sprachbund. A similar classification was given in Starostin (2014): •
Eastern Sudanic • Tama-Nara-Nubian branch •
Tama • Nara-Nubian •
Nara •
Nubian •
Surmic branch • Northern Surmic (= Majang) • Southern Surmic • Southwest Surmic • Southeast Surmic •
Nilotic branch • Northern Nilotic • Western Nilotic • Eastern Nilotic • Southern Nilotic •
Daju •
Nyimang •
Temein •
Jebel Blench (2019, 2021) Roger Blench (2019) and (2021), like Starostin, only finds support for Bender's Northern branch. Blench proposes the following internal structure, supported by morphological evidence. }} }} }}
Dimmendaal & Jakobi (< 2020) Dimmendaal & Jakobi (2020:394), published in 2020 but written some times earlier, retains Bender's Southern branch; they also accept
Berta: }} }} }} }} }} }} ==Numerals==