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Glite Dictionary
Nilotic language

Nilotic language

1 9.9
A language spoken in East Africa by groups such as the Maasai and Dinka
  • noun
  • Specialized
: lengua nilótica
  • Dinka is an example of a Nilotic language spoken in South Sudan.

Examples

  • The Nilotic language family includes languages like Dinka and Nuer.

  • The Maasai people speak a Nilotic language known as Maa.

  • Researchers are studying the evolution of Nilotic languages in East Africa.

  • Many people in South Sudan speak a Nilotic language.

  • Dinka is an example of a Nilotic language spoken in South Sudan.

  • Researchers are studying the evolution of Nilotic languages in East Africa.

  • The Maasai people speak a Nilotic language known as Maa.

Synonyms

Nilo-Saharan
vsNilotic language
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A group of languages spoken in East Africa from the Sahara to Kenya and Tanzania

is a specific subgroup language within that larger family
Nilo-Saharan language
vsNilotic language
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A language from a family spoken in East and Central Africa by people like the Maasai

is a member of a smaller subgroup within that larger family

Surface Forms

Nilotic language singular
Nilotic languages plural

Morphology

Nilotic + language

The phrase is transparently compositional: 'Nilotic' identifies the Chari–Nile branch and combined with 'language' straightforwardly denotes a language belonging to that branch. Although 'Nilotic' is a technical label, if a learner already knows the constituent meanings the overall sense is directly derivable following the common adjective + noun naming pattern.

Etymology

Nilotic language comes from the river Nile. The name was used for the languages of people who live along that river, so today it means the East African languages spoken by those groups.