Which language groups did Joseph H. Greenberg include in the Nilo-Saharan family?

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In his 1963 study, Joseph H. Greenberg postulated the Nilo-Saharan language family by grouping the previously established Chari-Nile family with several other independent units.

According to his 1963 classification, the Nilo-Saharan family included the following groups:

  • Songhai
  • Saharan
  • Maba (now classified as Maban)
  • Fur
  • Chari-Nile, which comprised:
    • Eastern Sudanic (including Nubian, Nilotic, and others)
    • Central Sudanic
    • Kunama
    • Berta
  • Coman (now classified as part of Komuz)

It is important to note that while Greenberg’s classification was foundational, it has been refined over time. For instance, the Kadu languages, which Greenberg originally classified as Kordofanian (a branch of Niger-Congo), are now widely accepted by scholars as part of the Nilo-Saharan family.1