Thuɔŋjäŋ
Dinka
Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic)
Dinka (Thuɔŋjäŋ) is one of the largest Nilo-Saharan languages and the largest in South Sudan, with ~4M speakers, spoken by the Dinka people, the country's largest ethnic group. Closely related to Nuer (the two together forming the Dinka-Nuer cluster), but with substantial linguistic differences. Dinka has an unusually complex vowel system with breathy and creaky voice qualities marking morphological distinctions (e.g. between singular and plural), three vowel-length contrasts (short, long, overlong), and three tones. Major dialect groups include Padang (Northeastern), Rek (Central), Agar (Bahr el-Ghazal). Standard orthography uses Latin with diacritics (ä ë ï ö ɛ ɔ ɣ).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Dinka
Water
piu
/piu/
Fire
mac
/matʃ/
Sun
akɔ̈l
/akɔl/
Moon
pɛɛi
/pɛːi/
Star
kuel
/kwɛl/
Mother
man
/man/
Father
wun
/wun/
I
ɣɛn
/ɣɛn/
You
yïn
/jɪn/
Name
rin
/rin/
Eye
nyin
/ɲin/
Hand
cin
/tʃin/
Heart
piöu
/piɔu/
Love
nhiär
/n̪iar/
Tree
tim
/tim/
House
ɣöt
/ɣɔt/
Dog
jɔ̈ŋ
/dʒɔŋ/
Cat
gec
/ɡetʃ/
Eat
cam
/tʃam/
Drink
dek
/dek/
One
tök
/tɔk/
Two
rou
/rou/
Hello
ke yïn
/ke jin/
Thank you
alanyiek
/alaɲiek/
Good
piath
/piat̪/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic) languages
| Meaning | Dinka | Nuer | Anuak | Acholi | Lango | Arpitan | Luo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | piu /piu/ | pi /pi/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | égoua /eɡwɔ/ | pi /pi/ |
| Fire | mac /matʃ/ | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | fuè /fwɛ/ | mach /matʃ/ |
| Sun | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | ceng /tʃeŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃeŋ/ | solely /sɔlɛj/ | chieng' /tʃieŋ/ |
| Moon | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | pay /paj/ | dwee /dweː/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | lena /lənə/ | dwe /dwe/ |
| Star | kuel /kwɛl/ | räl /ral/ | lɛɛr /lɛːr/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | étêla /eˈtela/ | sulwe /sulwe/ |
| Mother | man /man/ | maar /maːr/ | min /min/ | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | mâre /mar/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | wun /wun/ | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | waad /waːd/ | baba /baba/ | papo /papo/ | pâre /par/ | baba /baba/ |
| I | ɣɛn /ɣɛn/ | ɣän /ɣan/ | än /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | je /ʒə/ | an /an/ |
| You | yïn /jɪn/ | jin /jin/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | yin /jin/ | te /tə/ | in /in/ |
| Name | rin /rin/ | ciot /tɕɔːt/ | nyiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nom /nõ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ |
| Eye | nyin /ɲin/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | waang /waːŋ/ | wang /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | uely /œj/ | wang' /waŋ/ |
| Hand | cin /tʃin/ | tet /tet/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | man /mã/ | lwedo /lwedo/ |
| Heart | piöu /piɔu/ | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | côr /kɔr/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ |
| Love | nhiär /n̪iar/ | nhok /nok/ | mar /mar/ | mar /mar/ | amara /amara/ | amor /amur/ | hera /hera/ |
| Tree | tim /tim/ | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | âbro /abru/ | yath /jaθ/ |
| House | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | dööl /dɔːl/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | mêson /meːzɔ̃/ | ot /ot/ |
| Dog | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | jiek /dʒiek/ | guok /ɡuok/ | gwok /ɡʷok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | chen /tʃɛ̃/ | guok /ɡuok/ |
| Cat | gec /ɡetʃ/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | ngabu /ŋabu/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | chat /tʃa/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | camo /tʃamo/ | mengiér /mendʒje/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ |
| Drink | dek /dek/ | math /mat̪/ | maath /maːt̪/ | mat /mat/ | matho /matʰo/ | bêre /beːr/ | madho /maðo/ |
| One | tök /tɔk/ | kɛl /kɛl/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | yon /jɔ̃/ | achiel /atʃiel/ |
| Two | rou /rou/ | rew /rɛw/ | aryew /arjɛw/ | aryo /arjo/ | aryo /arjo/ | dos /do/ | ariyo /arijo/ |
| Hello | ke yïn /ke jin/ | malɛ /malɛ/ | mali /mali/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | adiô /adjo/ | misawa /misawa/ |
| Thank you | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | lɛrnyä /lɛɾɲa/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | mèrci /mɛrsi/ | erokamano /erokamano/ |
| Good | piath /piat̪/ | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | maber /maber/ |
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