East Chadic languages

Speakers of various East Chadic languages are locally known as Hadjarai peoples. The largest East Chadic language is Nancere.

Languages

The branches of East Chadic go either by names or by letters and numbers in an outline format.

The East Chadic B classification follows that of Lovestrand (2012).

• East Chadic
  • East Chadic A
    • • (A.1.1) Sibine: Mire, Ndam, Somrai, Tumak, Motun, Mawer
      • (A.1.2) Miltu: Boor, Gadang, Miltu, Sarua
    • • (A.2.1) Nancere: Nancere, Kimré, Lele
      • (A.2.2) Gabri: Gabri, Kabalai, Tobanga
    • (A.3) Kwang: Kwang, Kera
  • East Chadic B
    • • (B.1.1) Dangla: Bidiyo (Bidiya), Dangaléat (Dangla), Birgit, Jonkor Bourmataguil, Mabire, Migaama, Mogum (Jegu), Toram
      • (B.1.2) Mubi: Mubi, Kajakse, Masmaje, Zirenkel (Zerenkel)
      • (B.1.3) ? Kujargé
    • (B.2) Mokilko (Mukulu, Gergiko)
    • (B.3) Sokoro: Saba, Sokoro, Tamki, Mawa, Ubi
    • (B.4) Barein (Baraïn) (including the Jalking or Jelkung dialect)

Peust (2018), however, has a somewhat different phylogenetic classification for East Chadic. The most striking change is the repositioning of Mokilko (B.2) from East Chadic B to East Chadic A, where it now constitutes the first branch to separate, followed by Lele-Nancere (A.2.1). Within East Chadic B, he treats the Mubi group (B.1.2) as the first primary branching, with all the rest forming a subgroup divided between Dangla (B.1.1) in the north and Barain plus Sokoro (B.3 and B.4) in the south.

East Chadic A is distributed primarily in Tandjilé and neighbouring regions. East Chadic B is distributed primarily in Guéra and neighbouring regions.