Lwoo
Acholi
Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Western Nilotic, Southern Luo)
Acholi (Acoli) is a Southern Luo language of the Western Nilotic branch of the Nilo-Saharan family. It is spoken by around 1.5 million people, mainly the Acholi people of the Acholiland region of northern Uganda and adjoining parts of South Sudan. Written in the Latin alphabet, it is closely related to Lango, Alur, and Dholuo, and is a tonal language.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Acholi
Water
pii
/piː/
Fire
mac
/matʃ/
Sun
ceng
/tʃeŋ/
Moon
dwe
/dwe/
Star
lakalatwe
/lakalatwe/
Mother
mego
/meɡo/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
an
/an/
You
in
/in/
Name
nying
/ɲiŋ/
Eye
wang
/waŋ/
Hand
cing
/tʃiŋ/
Heart
cwiny
/tʃwiɲ/
Love
mar
/mar/
Tree
yat
/jat/
House
ot
/ot/
Dog
gwok
/ɡʷok/
Cat
ngabu
/ŋabu/
Eat
cam
/tʃam/
Drink
mat
/mat/
One
acel
/atʃel/
Two
aryo
/arjo/
Hello
itye nining
/itje niniŋ/
Thank you
apwoyo
/apwojo/
Good
ber
/ber/
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Western Nilotic, Southern Luo) languages
| Meaning | Acholi | Lango | Anuak | Luo | Nuer | Dinka | Susu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pi /pi/ | pi /pi/ | piu /piu/ | yi /ji/ |
| Fire | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mach /matʃ/ | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | te /te/ |
| Sun | ceng /tʃeŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃeŋ/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | chieng' /tʃieŋ/ | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | soge /soɡe/ |
| Moon | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwee /dweː/ | dwe /dwe/ | pay /paj/ | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | kike /kike/ |
| Star | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | lɛɛr /lɛːr/ | sulwe /sulwe/ | räl /ral/ | kuel /kwɛl/ | tunbi /tunbi/ |
| Mother | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | min /min/ | mama /mama/ | maar /maːr/ | man /man/ | nga /ŋɡa/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | papo /papo/ | waad /waːd/ | baba /baba/ | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | wun /wun/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | an /an/ | an /an/ | än /an/ | an /an/ | ɣän /ɣan/ | ɣɛn /ɣɛn/ | n /n/ |
| You | in /in/ | yin /jin/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | jin /jin/ | yïn /jɪn/ | i /i/ |
| Name | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nyiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | ciot /tɕɔːt/ | rin /rin/ | xili /xili/ |
| Eye | wang /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | waang /waːŋ/ | wang' /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | nyin /ɲin/ | ya /ja/ |
| Hand | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | lwedo /lwedo/ | tet /tet/ | cin /tʃin/ | belexɛ /belexɛ/ |
| Heart | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | piöu /piɔu/ | biye /bije/ |
| Love | mar /mar/ | amara /amara/ | mar /mar/ | hera /hera/ | nhok /nok/ | nhiär /n̪iar/ | xanunteya /xanunteja/ |
| Tree | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yath /jaθ/ | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | tim /tim/ | wuri /wuɾi/ |
| House | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | dööl /dɔːl/ | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | banxi /banxi/ |
| Dog | gwok /ɡʷok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | jiek /dʒiek/ | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | barɛ /baɾɛ/ |
| Cat | ngabu /ŋabu/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | paka /paka/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | nyɛɛsu /ɲɛːsu/ |
| Eat | cam /tʃam/ | camo /tʃamo/ | cam /tʃam/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | don /don/ |
| Drink | mat /mat/ | matho /matʰo/ | maath /maːt̪/ | madho /maðo/ | math /mat̪/ | dek /dek/ | min /min/ |
| One | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | achiel /atʃiel/ | kɛl /kɛl/ | tök /tɔk/ | keren /keɾen/ |
| Two | aryo /arjo/ | aryo /arjo/ | aryew /arjɛw/ | ariyo /arijo/ | rew /rɛw/ | rou /rou/ | firin /firin/ |
| Hello | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | mali /mali/ | misawa /misawa/ | malɛ /malɛ/ | ke yïn /ke jin/ | inu uxara /inu uxaɾa/ |
| Thank you | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | erokamano /erokamano/ | lɛrnyä /lɛɾɲa/ | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | inu wali /inu wali/ |
| Good | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | maber /maber/ | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | piath /piat̪/ | fanyi /faɲi/ |
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