The Hill Nubian languages are generally classified as being in the Central branch of the Nubian languages, one of three branches of the Nubian languages, the other two being Northern (Nile), consisting of Nobiin, and Western (Darfur), consisting of Midob.
They are grouped together with Kenzi-Dongolawi (not seen to be closely related to Nobiin, despite their proximity) and Birgid, a language of southwestern Sudan extinct since the 1970s.
[3] Nubian lies within the Eastern Sudanic family, which is part of the Nilo-Saharan phylum.
Their internal classification within Hill Nubian is not well established.
[4] Ethnologue, however, only groups Kadaru and Ghulfan together, leaving the rest unclassified within Hill Nubian, as follows:[5] Additionally, one extinct language known only from a word list of 36 words, Haraza, is unclassified within Hill Nubian.