| Eastern Jebel | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Blue Nile,Sudan |
| Linguistic classification | Nilo-Saharan?
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Eastern Jebel |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | east2386 |
 Map of the Eastern Jebel Languages and dialects, inAn Nil al Azraq province | |
TheEastern Jebel languages are a small subfamily belonging to theEastern Sudanic subgroup ofNilo-Saharan. They are spoken in the hills ofAn Nil al Azraq province in easternSudan (the name "Jebel" is simplyArabic for "mountain".)
The Eastern Jebel languages are:
Gaam has some 40,000–80,000 speakers, whereas the other three are threatened languages with far fewer speakers. Gaam was believed to be the only member of this group until more information about Aka, Kelo, and Molo was obtained by Bender; the latter three languages have been significantly influenced byBerta. Gaam is spoken in a compact area around the towns of Bau, Bobuk,Kukur, Gabanit, andSawda in the Tabi Hills, roughly 11°15′–30′ N by 33°55′–34°10′ E.
The other three were spoken in isolated pockets to its south, but are now probably extinct: Aka in the Sillok Hills, Kelo in the Tornasi Hills on jebels Tornasi (Kayli village) and Beni Sheko, and Molo at Jebel Malkan near theEthiopian border.
Proto-Eastern Jebel has been reconstructed by Bender (1998).[1]