Langenesis

Niger-Congo family

Proto-Benue-Congo

c. 5,000 BCE – 3,500 BCE Reconstructed

Proto-Benue-Congo (c. 5,000 BCE – 3,500 BCE) is a reconstructed Niger-Congo language. It has 29 descendant languages and stages on the map. Lineage: Proto-Niger-Congo → Proto-Atlantic-Congo → Proto-Benue-Congo.

See Proto-Benue-Congo on the interactive map

Ancestor of the Benue-Congo branch, which includes Bantoid (and thus Bantu) along with Cross River, Plateau, Kainji and Jukunoid languages of Nigeria. Intermediate Bantoid stage not tracked.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Niger-Congoc. 10,000 BCE – 7,000 BCE
  2. Proto-Atlantic-Congoc. 7,000 BCE – 5,000 BCE
  3. Proto-Benue-Congoc. 5,000 BCE – 3,500 BCE

Descendants 1

Sister languages 6

Also descended from Proto-Atlantic-Congo.

Sources