Northeast Bantu languages

The Northeast Bantu languages are a group of Bantu languages spoken in East Africa. In Guthrie's geographic classification, they fall within Bantu zones E50 plus E46 (Sonjo), E60 plus E74a (Taita), F21–22, J, G60, plus Northeast Coast Bantu (of zones E & G).^[3] Some of these languages (F21, most of E50, and some of J) share a phonological innovation called Dahl's law that is unlikely to be borrowed as a productive process, though individual words reflecting Dahl's law have been borrowed into neighboring languages.

Northeast Bantu
Northeast Savanna Bantu
Geographic distribution	Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, Mozambique, Comoros and Somalia
Linguistic classification	Niger–Congo? Atlantic–Congo Volta-Congo Benue–Congo Bantoid Southern Bantoid Bantu Northeast Bantu
Proto-language	Proto-Northeast Bantu^[1]^[2]
Glottolog	nort3203 nyat1247  (Nyaturu–Nilamba)

The languages, or clusters, are:

• Northeast Bantu languages
  • Kikuyu–Kamba a.k.a. Thagiicu (primarily E50):
    • Sonjo (E40)
    • Cuka
    • Meru (incl. Tharaka, Mwimbi-Muthambi)
    • South
      • Kamba, Daisu
      • Gikuyu, Embu
  • Chaga–Taita
    • Taita (Dawida; E70) – Sagalla
    • Chaga languages (E60)
  • Northeast Coast Bantu (G10-G40): Swahili (E70), etc.
  • Takama: Sukuma–Nyamwezi (+ Konongo–Ruwila), Kimbu (F20), Iramba–Isanzu, Nyaturu (Rimi) (F30), ?Holoholo–Tumbwe–Lumbwe (D20)
  • Great Lakes Bantu (zone J): Rwanda-Rundi, Ganda, etc.
  • Bena–Kinga (G60)
    • Sangu
    • Hehe
    • Bena
    • Pangwa
    • Kinga–Magoma
    • Wanji
    • Kisi
    • ?Manda (N10)

Notes

1. Columbus, Frederick (1974). Introductory Workbook in Historical Phonology. ISBN 9780893570187.
2. Alpers, Edward A. (2014). The Indian Ocean in World History. ISBN 978-0-19-533787-7.
3. Derek Nurse, 2003, The Bantu Languages