# Eastern Nilotic languages

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.

## Classification

According to Vossen (1982), the Eastern Nilotic languages are basically classified as follows by the comparative method. Vossen (1982) also provides a reconstruction of Proto-Eastern Nilotic.
* Eastern Nilotic
** Bari languages
** Teso–Lotuko–Maa:
*** Teso–Turkana (or Ateker; incl. Karimojong)
*** Lotuko–Maa:
**** Lotuko languages
***** Lango language
***** Lopit language
***** Lokoya language
***** Lotuko language
***** Dongotono language
**** Ongamo–Maa
***** Ongamo language
***** Maa languages
****** Maasai language (see also Mukogodo-Maasai)
****** Camus language
****** Samburu language (see also Elmolo-Samburu)
It is generally agreed upon that Bari forms a primary branch, but lower-level splits are less clear.

### Swadesh approach (Vossen 1982)

Vossen's classification using the Swadesh approach is as follows (Vossen 1982:114).
* Eastern Nilotic
** Bari languages
*** Mondari
*** Kakwa
*** Nyanggwara
*** Kuku
*** Pöjulu
*** Ngyepu
*** Bari
** Lotuko–Maa languages
*** Lotuko languages
**** Lopit, Dongotono
**** Lotuko, Lokoya
*** Ongamo–Maa languages
**** Ongamo
***** Maasai
****** Camus, Samburu
** Teso–Turkana languages
*** Teso
**** Nyangatom
***** Turkana, Karimojong

### Gleason approach (Vossen 1982)

Vossen's classification using the Gleason approach is as follows (Vossen 1982:119).
* Eastern Nilotic
** Bari languages
*** Kuku, Ngyepu
*** Pöjulu
*** Kakwa
*** Bari
*** Nyanggwara, Mondari
** Lotuko languages
*** Lopit, Dongotono
*** Lotuko, Lokoya
** Teso–Turkana languages
*** Nyangatom
**** Teso
***** Turkana, Karimojong
*** Ongamo–Maa languages
**** Ongamo
***** Maasai
****** Camus, Samburu

## Gender Marking

Gender marking through prefixes (or proclitics) on nouns is an innovation in the Eastern Nilotic languages that is not found in the other branches of Nilotic. However, not every Eastern Nilotic language has this feature: for example, Bari does not have it.
Noun Gender Prefixes/Proclitics in Eastern Nilotic Languages :
| | | Lopit | Otuho | Maa | Ateso | Turkana | Bari |
| Singular | Feminine | (ɪ-, na-) | a-, ne- | ɛn- | a- | a- | - |
| Singular | Masculine | (lɔ-) | o-, lo-, la- | ɔl- | e- | e- | - |
| Singular | Neuter | - | - | - | i- | i- | - |
| Plural | Feminine | (ɪ-, na-) | a-, ne- | ɪn- | ŋa- | ŋa- | - |
| Plural | Masculine | (lɔ-) | o-, lo-, la- | ɪl- | ŋi- | ŋi- | - |
| Plural | Neuter | - | - | - | ŋi- | ŋi- | - |

## Comparative vocabulary

Sample basic vocabulary of Eastern Nilotic languages from Vossen (1982):
| Language | eye | ear | nose | tooth | tongue | mouth | blood | bone | tree | water | to eat | name |
| Proto-Eastern Nilotic | *-k₃ɔŋ- / *-k₃ɔɲ- | | *-ku-me / *-ku-me-t₂ik | *-k₃ela- | *-ŋa-dʸɛp- / *-ŋa-dʸɛp-a | *-k₁ʊ-t₁ʊk- | *-(a)k₃ɔt | *-k₃oyV-t₁- | *-tʸani | *-pi- | *-ɲa(m)- | *-k₃a-rɪn- |
| Teso | a-kɔ́ŋ-ʊ̀ | á-kí-t | e-kúmè | e-kíàl-àì | á-ŋǎjɛ̀p | á-kɪ̀tʊ̀k | á-àkɔ́t | á-kóì-t | ɛ́-kɪ́tɔ́-ɪ̀ | a-ki-pí | akí-ɲám-à | é-kɪ́-rɔ́-rɪ̀ |
| Turkana | á-kɔŋ-ʊ | á-kí-t | é-kume | ɛ́-kɛl-aɪ | a-ŋajɛp | a-kʊtuk | ŋá-akɔt | á-koí-t | ɛ-kɪtɔ-ɛ | ŋá-kɪpɪ | akɪ-ɲam | ɛ́-kɪ-rɔ |
| Nyangatom | -kɔɲaːn | gɪ-t̪e | -kume | n-kɛl | -ŋajɛb | -kutʊːk | -qɔt | ŋ-qöy-ɔ | ŋa-kitɔ | ŋá-kɪ́-pì | tɛ-nɛm | -kurɔː |
| Karimojong | a-kɔŋ-u | a-ki-t | é-kùmé | ɛ́-qɛ̀l-áe | a-ŋadyɛ́p | a-kit̪uk | ŋa-akɔɔt | á-qɔ̀ɪ́-t | ɛ-kitɔ-ɪ | ŋa-ki-piʔ | aki-ɲam | e-ke-ro |
| Maasai | ɛŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ | ɛŋ-kɪ-ɔɔk | eŋ-kumé | ɔl-alá-ɪ̀ | ɔl-ŋɛ́jɛ́p | ɛŋ-kʊ́tʊ́k | ɔ-sárɠɛ́ | ol-óì-tò | ɔl-caní | ɛŋ-kár-ɛ́ | a-ɲá | ɛŋ-kárn-á |
| Camus | ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ | ŋ-ké-ok | ŋ-kawar-íé | l-alá-ɪ̀ | l-ŋɛjɛp | ŋ-kʊtʊ́k | l-ɔɗɔ́ | l-óì-tò | l-caní | ŋ-kár-ɛ́ | a-ɲá | ŋ-kárn-á |
| Sampur | ŋ-kɔŋ-ʊ́ | ŋ-kɪ́-yyɔk | ŋ-kwar-íé | l-alá-ɪ̀ | l-ŋɛ́jɛ́p | ŋ-kʊtʊ́k | l-ɔɗɔ́ | l-óì-tò | l-caní | ŋ-kár-ɛ́ | a-ɲá | ŋ-kárn-á |
| Ongamo | na-hɔŋ-ʊ́ | na-ʃɔ́ɔ | ʃaɽ-íé | ɔ-háa-ɪ | ɔ-ŋɛ́jɛ́β-ɪ́ | na-kutók | na-hɔ́ɔ́t-ʊ́ | o-hóí-to | ɔ-ʃɛtá | na-si-βí | -am-/ɲ- | na-hárn-á |
| Lotuko | ɔ́ɲ-ɛ̀k | é-yyòk | á-ttàrɪ̀ | álà-ɪ̀ | ɔ́ŋàjɛ̀p | ɛ́-ðùk | ɔ́-ɔ̀ðɔ̀ | a-xó-tìò | á-yyànì | á-àr-è | á-ŋíyó | á-fùrè |
| Oxoriok | a-xɔɲ-ɛk | e-yok | a-xar-iɛ | ɔ-xala-i | u-ŋadiep | a-xutuk | a-xɔtɔ | o-xoi-toŋ | o-xyani | a-xar-ɛ | ɲo | o-furɛ |
| Lopit | xɔɲ-ɛk | hí-yók | hi-mó | xalá-tì | ŋájɛ́p | xʊ́tʊ́k | xɔ́tɔ́ | xoɪ́t-òì | yyánì | hi-ɸí-òŋ | dáxá | ɸúré |
| Dongotono | xɔɲ-ɛk | cyɔ̂k | hí-mè | xalá-tɪ̀ | ŋádɛ́p | xʊ́tʊ́k | ɔ-xɔ́t-ɔ́ | xoít-ò | sánì | xár-ɪ́ | ɔ-dɔŋɔ́ | ɸúrè-ì |
| Lokoya | a-ɣɔɲ-ɛk | e-xi-yôk | o-xi-môŋ | o-ɣalá-í | ʊ-ŋájɪ́p | a-kʊ́tʊ́k | a-ɣɔ́tɔ́ | ɔ-ɣɔ́t-ɔ̀ŋ | ó-yán-dɪ́k | a-ɣar-ɛ | a-ɲû | o-vúré |
| Bari | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | súö̀-t | kúmé | kélê | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | rɪ́mà | kuyú-tìò | kódíní | pí-òŋ | ɲésù | karɛ́n |
| Kakwa | kɔɲ-ɛ́ | súè | kúmé | kálá | ɲɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́ | rɪ́mà | kʊ́yʊ́ | kodiŋí | píò | ɲósù | karɛ́n |
| Kuku | kɔ́ŋ-ɛ́ | súö̀-t | kumé | kölö́-ì | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | ɓíyèt | kú(y)ú-tö̀n | ködin-î | pí-òŋ | yésù | karɪ́n |
| Ngyepu | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | súö̀-t | kumé | kölö́-ì | ŋyɛ́dɛ́p | kútúk | rɪ́mà | kuyú-tyò | ködin-í | pí-òŋ | ɲésu | karɛ́n |
| Pöjulu | kɔŋ-ɪ́n | súö̀-t | kumé | kelê | ŋyɛ́dɛ́p | kutúk | rɪ́mà | kuí-sò | ködin-í | pí-òŋ | ɲésù | karɛ́n |
| Nyanggwara | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | ʃwö́-t | kumé | kelé | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | rɪ́mà | kuyú-tío | ködin-í | pí-òŋ | ɲésù | karɛ́n |
| Mondari | kɔŋ-ɛ́ | sʊ́-t | kʊmɪ́ | kɛlɛ́ | ŋɛ́dɛ́p | kʊ́tʊ́k | rɪ́mà | kú-cö̀ | ködí | ci-pí | ɲö́sút | karɛ́n |