Arabic became the dominant language of Sudan following the Arab migrations into the Nile Valley from the 7th century onward and the spread of Islam throughout the region. Sudanese Arabic developed its own distinctive dialect influenced by contact with indigenous Nile Valley languages, including the ancient Nubian languages spoken along the Nile for millennia. The Nubian languages — such as Nobiin and Dongolawi — are among the oldest continuously spoken languages in northeastern Africa, with roots predating the Arab conquest. The Beja people of northeastern Sudan speak a Cushitic language that has likewise persisted since antiquity. Sudan's linguistic landscape reflects this layered history: an Arabic-speaking majority coexisting with dozens of indigenous language communities representing some of Africa's most ancient tongues.
