Back اللغات النيلية الشرقية Arabic Llingües nilótiques orientales AST Yezhoù nilotek ar reter Breton Lenguas nilóticas orientales Spanish Langues nilotiques orientales French Istočnonilotski jezici Croatian Oßßnilootish (Shprooch) KSH Ostnilotische Spraken NDS Östnilotiska språk Swedish
 | This article should specify the language of its non-English content, using {{lang}}, {{transliteration}} for transliterated languages, and {{IPA}} for phonetic transcriptions, with an appropriate ISO 639 code. Wikipedia's multilingual support templates may also be used. (June 2022) |
| Eastern Nilotic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | southwestern Ethiopia, eastern South Sudan, northeastern Uganda, western Kenya, northern Tanzania |
| Linguistic classification | Nilo-Saharan?
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| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | east2418 |
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.