Northern Eastern Sudanic languages
The Northern Eastern Sudanic, Eastern k Sudanic, Ek Sudanic, NNT or Astaboran languages may form a primary division of the proposed Eastern Sudanic family. They are characterised by having a /k/ in the first person singular pronoun "I/me", as opposed to the Southern Eastern Sudanic languages, which have an /n/. Nyima has yet to be conclusively linked to the other languages, and would appear to be the closest relative of Ek Sudanic rather than Ek Sudanic proper.
The most well-known language of this group is [Old Nubian languages|Nubian language|Nubian]. According to Claude Rilly, the ancient Meroitic language appears on limited evidence to be closely related to the languages of this group.
A reconstruction of Proto-Northern Eastern Sudanic has also been proposed by Rilly.
Internal classification
Rilly provides the following internal structure for the Northern Eastern Sudanic languages.- Northern East Sudanic
- *Nyima: Nyimang, Afitti
- *Taman: Tama, Mararit
- *Nara-Nubian
- **Nara
- **Meroitic-Nubian
- ***Meroitic
- ***Nubian
- ****Western Nubian
- *****Birgid
- *****Midob, Kordofan Nubian
- ****Nile Nubian
- *****Old Dongolawi, Kenuzi, Dongolawi
- *****Old Nubian, Nobiin