Nubian languages

The Nubian languages are a language family spoken by Nubians in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. They are now concentrated mainly along the Nile and in several non-contiguous areas in Sudan, including parts of the Nuba Mountains and Darfur. Arabic–Nubian bilingualism is widespread, and language shift toward Arabic has been documented in a number of communities. Though a subset of Nubian languages known as Hill Nubian are spoken in the Nuba Mountains, the term "Nubian languages" should not be confused with the term "Nuba languages", the latter referring to all of the languages spoken in the Nuba Mountains area and parts of Darfur, including many which are unrelated to Nubian dialects. Reference works differ on Nubian's affiliation above the family level. Older classifications often placed Nubian within Nilo-Saharan (commonly under Eastern Sudanic). Glottolog treats Nubian as a primary family and asserts that a conclusive external subgrouping has not been demonstrated.