Hill Nubian languages
The Hill Nubian languages, also called Kordofan Nubian, are a group or dialect continuum of Nubian languages spoken by the Hill Nubians in the northern Nuba Mountains of Sudan.
Classification
The Hill Nubian languages are generally classified as being in the Central branch of the Nubian languages, one of three branches of the Nubian languages, the other two being Northern, consisting of Nobiin, and Western, consisting of Midob. They are grouped together with Kenzi-Dongolawi and Birgid, a language of southwestern Sudan extinct since the 1970s. Nubian lies within the Eastern Sudanic family, which is part of the Nilo-Saharan phylum.Languages
There are seven Hill Nubian languages, according to Ethnologue and Glottolog. Some of the languages have dialects. Their internal classification within Hull Nubian is not well established. Glottolog classifies Hill Nubian into two branches: Eastern Kordofan Nubian and Western Kordofan Nubian, containing three and four languages respectively. Ethnologue, however, only groups Kadaru and Ghulfan together, leaving the rest unclassified within Hill Nubian, as follows:- Kadaru-Ghulfan
- * Ghulfan – 33,000 speakers
- * Kadaru – 25,000 speakers
- Dair – 1,000 speakers
- Dilling – 11,000 speakers
- El Hugeirat – 50 speakers
- Karko – 7,000 speakers
- Wali – 9,000 speakers
List of Kordofan Nubian language varieties according to Rilly :
| Language variety | Speakers | Distribution |
| Dair | 1,000 | Jebel ed-Dair, an isolated escarpment in the northeastern Nuba Mountains |
| Tagle | Jebel Kururu, in the Kadaro Massif | |
| Kadaro | 6,000 | Kadaro Massif |
| Koldegi | south of the Kadaro Massif | |
| Dabatna | Jebel Dabatna, located to the southwest of the Kadaro Massif | |
| Habila | Jebel Habila, an isolated hill between Dilling and the Kadaro Massif | |
| Ghulfan | 16,000 | Ghulfan Massif; Kurgul dialect in the east, and Morung dialect in the west |
| Debri | Jebel Debri, located south of the Ghulfan Massif | |
| Kudur | Jebel Kudur, an isolated hill north of Dilling | |
| Dilling | 5,300 | Dilling and surroundings |
| Kasha | Jebel Kasha, an isolated hill north of Dilling | |
| Karko | 13,000 | Karko Massif, located west of Dilling; dialects are Dulman and Kundukur |
| Fanda | Jebel Fanda, south of the Karko Massif | |
| Kujuria | Kunit or Kujuria Hills, located southwest of the Karko Massif | |
| Wali | 1,000 | Wali Massif, located southwest of Dilling |
| Tabag | Jebel Tabag, an isolated massif in the western Nuba Mountains | |
| Abu-Jinuk | Jebel Abu Jinuk, an isolated massif in the western Nuba Mountains | |
| El-Hugeirat | 1,000 | far western Nuba Mountains |