LANGUAGES OF TILE KILIMA NJARO DISTRICT. 447 
of conflicting theories. Imperfect as pur grasp of the 
subject is, we are able now at least to rise from its 
contemplation with certain definite ideas as to the 
grouping or classifying of African tongues. We know 
there is the great Bantu family in the southern half 
of the continent ; the common origin and relationships 
of the Hamitic languages becomes apparent; the 
tongues appertaining to the Semitic group in the north 
and north-east are relegated to their place; and if 
more general classifications of the vast number of 
Negro and negroid forms of speech are found to be 
at present illusory, we can at least recognize several 
very distinct and natural families, lacking, it may be, 
any appreciable relationships with extraneous linguistic 
groups outside their own area, but possessing evident 
signs of a common structural plan and a common 
origin. Such are the Nuba tongues, the Fula group, 
the Hausa, Kanuri, Wolof, Kru, Mande, Bagirmi, 
V 
Siluk, and Dinka language-clusters of Central and 
Western Africa. Distinct also, and offering only a 
slight indication of possible affinities, is the language 
spoken with but little dialectal variation by the well- 
marked race known as the Masai, whose ethnological 
features have been treated of in the preceding 
chapter. 
In the south, south-west, and south-central districts 
of Africa, enclaves of the Bushman and Hottentot 
tongues are found—the cc Click languages, as they 
are often called, and the subject of their mutual re¬ 
lations is still much disputed by authorities. But 
Theophilus Hahn 2 shows that there is decided re¬ 
semblance in many words of common use, and in the 
3 “ Tsuni-|[goam ; the Supreme Being of the Khoi-khoi.” T. Hahn, 
Ph.D.; Triibner and Co. 
