Lëblaŋo
Lango
Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic, Lwoo)
Lango is a Western Nilotic (Lwoo) language of Northern Uganda, spoken around the city of Lira by the Langi people. Sister to Acholi (also present in Uganda) and more distantly to Luo of western Kenya, with which it shares the typical Western Nilotic five-vowel + ATR system. Lango played a prominent role in 20th-century Ugandan politics — President Milton Obote was a Langi speaker. About 1.5 million speakers; written in Latin script with limited but growing literary tradition.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Lango
Water
pii
/piː/
Fire
mac
/matʃ/
Sun
ceŋ
/tʃeŋ/
Moon
dwe
/dwe/
Mother
mego
/meɡo/
Father
papo
/papo/
Eat
camo
/tʃamo/
Drink
matho
/matʰo/
Love
amara
/amara/
Heart
cwiny
/tʃwiɲ/
Tree
yat
/jat/
House
ot
/ot/
Dog
gwok
/ɡwok/
Cat
mbweko
/mbweko/
Hand
cing
/tʃiŋ/
Eye
waŋ
/waŋ/
Hello
itye nining
/itje niniŋ/
Thank you
apwoyo
/apwojo/
One
acel
/atʃel/
Good
ber
/ber/
Sources
- Driberg (1923) — The Lango: A Nilotic Tribe of Uganda
- Ethnologue 27: Lango
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic, Lwoo) languages
| Meaning | Lango | Acholi | Anuak | Luo | Nuer | Dinka | Mundari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pi /pi/ | pi /pi/ | piu /piu/ | daa /daː/ |
| Fire | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mach /matʃ/ | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | sengel /seŋɡel/ |
| Sun | ceŋ /tʃeŋ/ | ceng /tʃeŋ/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | chieng' /tʃieŋ/ | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | singi /siŋɡi/ |
| Moon | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwee /dweː/ | dwe /dwe/ | pay /paj/ | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | chando /tʃando/ |
| Mother | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | min /min/ | mama /mama/ | maar /maːr/ | man /man/ | ayo /ajo/ |
| Father | papo /papo/ | baba /baba/ | waad /waːd/ | baba /baba/ | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | wun /wun/ | apu /apu/ |
| Eat | camo /tʃamo/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | jom /dʒom/ |
| Drink | matho /matʰo/ | mat /mat/ | maath /maːt̪/ | madho /maðo/ | math /mat̪/ | dek /dek/ | nu /nu/ |
| Love | amara /amara/ | mar /mar/ | mar /mar/ | hera /hera/ | nhok /nok/ | nhiär /n̪iar/ | dularaa /dularaː/ |
| Heart | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | piöu /piɔu/ | jiu /dʒiu/ |
| Tree | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yath /jaθ/ | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | tim /tim/ | daru /daru/ |
| House | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | dööl /dɔːl/ | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | oraa /oraː/ |
| Dog | gwok /ɡwok/ | gwok /ɡʷok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | jiek /dʒiek/ | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | seta /seta/ |
| Cat | mbweko /mbweko/ | ngabu /ŋabu/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | paka /paka/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | lwedo /lwedo/ | tet /tet/ | cin /tʃin/ | ti /ti/ |
| Eye | waŋ /waŋ/ | wang /waŋ/ | waang /waːŋ/ | wang' /waŋ/ | wäk /wɛk/ | nyin /ɲin/ | med /med/ |
| Hello | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | mali /mali/ | misawa /misawa/ | malɛ /malɛ/ | ke yïn /ke jin/ | johar /dʒohar/ |
| Thank you | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | erokamano /erokamano/ | lɛrnyä /lɛɾɲa/ | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | dhonyobad /dʱoɲobad/ |
| One | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | achiel /atʃiel/ | kɛl /kɛl/ | tök /tɔk/ | mid /mid/ |
| Good | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | maber /maber/ | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | piath /piat̪/ | bes /bes/ |
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