# Hill Nubian languages

The Hill Nubian languages, also called Kordofan Nubian, are a 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 (Nile), consisting of Nobiin, and Western (Darfur), consisting of Midob. They are grouped together with Kenzi-Dongolawi (not seen to be closely related to Nobiin, despite their proximity) 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 Hill Nubian is not well established. Glottolog classifies Hill Nubian (Kordofan 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 (also Gulfan, Uncu, Uncunwee, Wunci, Wuncimbe) – 33,000 speakers
** Kadaru (also Kadaro, Kadero, Kaderu, Kodhin, Kodhinniai, Kodoro, Tamya) – 25,000 speakers
* Dair (also Dabab, Daier, Thaminyi, Kuliniri) – 1,024 speakers
* Dilling (also Delen, Warkimbe, Warki) – 11,000 speakers
* El Hugeirat (also El Hagarat) – 50 speakers
* Karko (also Garko, Kaak, Karme, Kithonirishe, Kakenbi) – 7,000 speakers
* Wali (also Walari, Walarishe, Wele) – 9,000 speakers
Additionally, one extinct language known only from a word list of 36 words, Haraza, is unclassified within Hill Nubian.
List of Kordofan Nubian (Hill Nubian) language varieties according to Rilly (2010:164-165):
| Language variety | Speakers | Distribution |
| Dair (Thaminyi) | 1,000 | Jebel ed-Dair, an isolated escarpment in the northeastern Nuba Mountains |
| Tagle (Taglena, Kororo, Kururu) | | Jebel Kururu, in the Kadaro Massif |
| Kadaro (Kadero, Kadaru, Kodoro, Kodhin, Kodhinniai) | 6,000 | Kadaro Massif |
| Koldegi | | south of the Kadaro Massif |
| Dabatna (Kaalu) | | Jebel Dabatna, located to the southwest of the Kadaro Massif |
| Habila | | Jebel Habila, an isolated hill between Dilling and the Kadaro Massif |
| Ghulfan (Gulfan, Wunci, Wuncimbe) | 16,384 | Ghulfan Massif; Kurgul dialect in the east, and Morung dialect in the west |
| Debri (Wei) | | Jebel Debri, located south of the Ghulfan Massif |
| Kudur (Kwashi) | | Jebel Kudur, an isolated hill north of Dilling |
| Dilling (Deleny, Deleñ, Warki) | 5,300 | Dilling and surroundings |
| Kasha (Kenimbe) | | Jebel Kasha, an isolated hill north of Dilling |
| Karko (Garko, Kargo, Kithonirishe) | 13,000 | Karko Massif, located west of Dilling; dialects are Dulman and Kundukur |
| Fanda | | Jebel Fanda, south of the Karko Massif |
| Kujuria (Kunak) | | Kunit or Kujuria Hills, located southwest of the Karko Massif |
| Wali (Walari, Walarishe) | 1,024 | 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 | 1,024 | far western Nuba Mountains |