Meroitic as an Afroasiatic language?

I have always wondered why Egyptian is classified as "Afro-Asiatic" and the Merotic as Nilo-Sahran..I thought due to the fact that the two cultures were simular and the similarities biologically the languages would be in the same language family, I had a really good book on lost languages that had a example of Merotic and the words the Egyptologists do know from the Merotic script come from similarities from the Egyptian script.

Good post...

"Recently, the extinct Meroitic language of ancient Kush has been accepted by linguists such as Rille, Dimmendaal, and Blench as Nilo-Saharan, though others argue for an Afroasiatic affiliation."

That is true, but the fact remains that the Egyptian language, from what I understand may have not been the only language spoken in Egypt, but instead like I've said before represents the predominant or lingua franca of the Egyptian state.

I also understand your basis that if two groups who evolved side by side would obviously share a similar language, due to parallel evolution and development; but on the other, this same situation is represented by many culturally and biologically close ethnic groups, some who share a timeline very similar to that of "Egypt" and "Nubia".

For example, the situation between Afrasan speaking Beja speakers and Nilo-Saharan speaking Nara and Kunama people in the Eastern Sudan and Eritrea. Both groups from what I understand share a very close linkage biologically, having evolved in that said region in a mush earlier era. Also, culturally these groups share a mirror selective relationship.

Linguistic groups are very transparent, linguistic affiliation in regard to ethno-based groups shift constantly, and the fact that the Egyptian and the Merotic languages belong to different linguistic phylums can be easily based on political, economic, and social reasons.

For example, many Rendille affiliated peoples in Kenya are mush more fluent in Samburu (a Nilo-Saharan-Southern Nilotic language) then they are in Rendille (a Afrasan-Southern Cushitic language), a linguistic shift is taking place.

"Rendilles are believed to be alienated and experts believe that pure Rendille language speakers are only confined to the two towns of Kargi and Korr. The rest of the towns[settlements], especially those bordering the two Samburu Districts speak more Samburu than Rendille. The 'Rendille language' is especially under threat from Samburu, one of the Maa languages."

This could have easily happened in either the Lower or Middle Nile Valley.

That remains, that both Nilo-Saharan and Afrasan were spoken in both the Lower and Middle Nile Valley, and that both influenced the later ethno-based cultures of "Egypt" and "Nubia". In fact, some of the cultural traits of "Egypt" and "Nubia" are only traceable to Nilo-Saharan speakers in what is now Central Sudan.

Political, economic and social pressures may have led to Afrasan Egyptian and Nilo-Saharan Merotic being more dominant in the two adjacent regions.

This has little influence biologically since both the "Egyptians" and the "Nubians" can be both described as "mixed" populations in regard to origins in the African continent. Both of them drawing from West African Central Saharan groups (most likely speaking languages which would have been classified as Niger-Kordofanian) moving eastwards, Nilo-Saharan Western-Central Sudanic populations moving northwards and Afrasan Northeast Highlander/Sahelian peoples moving northwestwards. Therefore making them intermediate between those three populations, no matter the language affiliation.

Also, it's very unlikely that Merotic would have been a dialect of Egyptian, if that was the case, we wouldn't be having this discussion today, the linguistic affiliation would be clearly obvious.

But it's not, the fews words able to link to Ancient Egyptian, are most likely loan words or words shared between the two languages. Lets making it clear, there's a reason why Ancient Egyptian shares some commonalities with Nilo-Saharan languages.

Also, the Noba's presence is very significant in regard to my point. The Nubians weren't brought into "Nubia" from regions to the south or west; the Noba were of Egyptian extraction, being that they were from the Egyptian desert, making them capable foes against the eastern populations, i.e. the Blemmyes.

"Nobatia was likely founded by the Nobatae, who had been invited into the region from the Egyptian desert by the Roman Emperor Diocletian to help defeat the Blemmyes in AD 297."

The fact that northern Egyptian desert populations spoke Nilo-Saharan languages even further advances my point im by chance lingua franca. Both linguistic phylums were present in the Lower and Middle Nile Valley.

Also, from what I understand most linguistics are support of a Nilo-Saharan affiliation, i.e. Rille, Dimmendaal and Blench. Rowan like I've said before seems to represent a minority view.

I understand your point, but I still see a strong possibility for Merotic being classified as Nilo-Saharan, and not Afrasan.

I think most peoples in the actual scientific realm have no problem accepting an African and indigenous origin in the case of Ancient Egypt, they may not use the word "black", but it's clearly suggested.

It's the Media that continues to project a faux view of Ancient Egypt, and through them the public buys their bias.

I would love to hear about the possiable linkage in regard to Meroe and the Beja.

^Doctor Scientia and Djehuti make some good points. Remember Christopher Ehret also pointed out a close history and relationship between ancient Egyptian and Nilo-Saharan speakers, evident in the abundance of loan words contained in the language of the former (received by the latter). This I can't overlook, but I'd still like to read, from someone able or another peer reviewed document, a general critique or review of this paper by Ms. Rowan here...