Lwoo
Acholi
Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic, Luo)
Acholi is a Western Nilotic language spoken by ~2.6M in northern Uganda and South Sudan, closely related to Lango, Alur, and Dholuo (collectively the Acholi-Lango-Alur cluster). Suffered devastating impact from the 1986-2008 Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in Acholiland. Tonal language with 9-vowel ATR harmony, ergative-absolutive features, and complex vowel-length contrasts. Latin orthography developed by missionaries in the 1900s; used in primary education and the Mega FM regional broadcasting in Gulu since 2002.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Acholi
Water
pii
/piː/
Fire
mac
/matʃ/
Sun
ceng
/tʃeŋ/
Moon
dwe
/dwe/
Mother
mego
/meɡo/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
cam
/tʃam/
Drink
mat
/mat/
Love
mar
/mar/
Heart
cwiny
/tʃwiɲ/
Tree
yat
/jat/
House
ot
/ot/
Dog
gwok
/ɡʷok/
Cat
ngabu
/ŋabu/
Hand
cing
/tʃiŋ/
Eye
wang
/waŋ/
Hello
itye nining
/itje niniŋ/
Thank you
apwoyo
/apwojo/
One
acel
/atʃel/
Good
ber
/ber/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic, Luo) languages
| Meaning | Acholi | Lango | Anuak | Luo | Nuer | Dinka | Meru |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pi /pi/ | pi /pi/ | piu /piu/ | rũũjĩ /ɾuːdʒi/ |
| Fire | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mach /matʃ/ | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mwaki /mwaki/ |
| Sun | ceng /tʃeŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃeŋ/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | chieng' /tʃieŋ/ | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | rĩũa /ɾiua/ |
| Moon | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwee /dweː/ | dwe /dwe/ | pay /paj/ | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | mweri /mweɾi/ |
| Mother | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | min /min/ | mama /mama/ | maar /maːr/ | man /man/ | mami /mami/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | papo /papo/ | waad /waːd/ | baba /baba/ | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | wun /wun/ | baba /baba/ |
| Eat | cam /tʃam/ | camo /tʃamo/ | cam /tʃam/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | kũrĩa /kuɾia/ |
| Drink | mat /mat/ | matho /matʰo/ | maath /maːt̪/ | madho /maðo/ | math /mat̪/ | dek /dek/ | kũnyũa /kuɲua/ |
| Love | mar /mar/ | amara /amara/ | mar /mar/ | hera /hera/ | nhok /nok/ | nhiär /n̪iar/ | wendo /wendo/ |
| Heart | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | piöu /piɔu/ | ngoro /ŋɡoɾo/ |
| Tree | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yath /jaθ/ | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | tim /tim/ | mũtĩ /muti/ |
| House | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | dööl /dɔːl/ | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | nyomba /ɲomba/ |
| Dog | gwok /ɡʷok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | jiek /dʒiek/ | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | ngiti /ŋɡiti/ |
| Cat | ngabu /ŋabu/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | paka /paka/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | nyau /ɲau/ |
| Hand | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | lwedo /lwedo/ | tet /tet/ | cin /tʃin/ | njara /ndʒaɾa/ |
| Eye | wang /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | waang /waːŋ/ | wang' /waŋ/ | wäk /wɛk/ | nyin /ɲin/ | rĩĩthwa /ɾiːθwa/ |
| Hello | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | mali /mali/ | misawa /misawa/ | malɛ /malɛ/ | ke yïn /ke jin/ | mwega /mweɡa/ |
| Thank you | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | erokamano /erokamano/ | lɛrnyä /lɛɾɲa/ | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | nĩ baba /ni baba/ |
| One | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | achiel /atʃiel/ | kɛl /kɛl/ | tök /tɔk/ | ĩmwe /imwe/ |
| Good | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | maber /maber/ | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | piath /piat̪/ | mwega /mweɡa/ |
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