Atlantic–Congo
Sign in to saveAlso known as Atlantic-Congo languages, Atlantic–Congo languages
language family
Key facts
- Geographic distribution
- Africa
- Linguistic classification
- Niger–Congo ? Atlantic–Congo
- Subdivisions
- Talodi–Heiban ( Kordofanian ) Senegambian ( Atlantic ) Nalu ( Atlantic ) Rio Nunez ( Atlantic ) Mel ( Atlantic ) Sua ( Atlantic ) Gola ( Atlantic ) Limba ( Atlantic ) Volta–Congo
- Iso 639 5
- alv
- Glottolog
- atla1278
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Map of the Atlantic–Congo languages.svg
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~2 min read
Article
The Atlantic–Congo languages make up the largest demonstrated family of languages in Africa. They have characteristic noun class systems and form the core of the Niger–Congo family hypothesis. They comprise all of Niger–Congo apart from Mande, Dogon, Ijoid, Siamou, Kru, the Katla and Rashad languages (previously classified as Kordofanian), and perhaps some or all of the Ubangian languages. Hans Gunther Mukanovsky's "Western Nigritic" corresponded roughly to modern Atlantic–Congo.
In the infobox, the languages that appear to be the most divergent are placed at the top. The Atlantic branch is defined in the narrow sense (as Senegambian), while the former Atlantic branches Mel and the isolates Sua, Gola and Limba are split out as primary branches; they are mentioned next to each other because there is no published evidence to move them; Volta–Congo is intact apart from Senufo and Kru.