The
Eastern Nilotic languages are one of the three primary branches of the
Nilotic languages, themselves belonging to the
Eastern Sudanic subfamily of
Nilo-Saharan; they are believed to have begun to diverge about 3,000 years ago, and have spread southwards from an original home in
Equatoria in
South Sudan. They are spoken across a large area in
East Africa, ranging from Equatoria to the highlands of
Tanzania. Their speakers are mostly
cattle herders living in semi-arid or arid plains.