Thok Nath
Nuer
Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic)
Nuer (Thok Nath) is a Western Nilotic Nilo-Saharan language with ~1.5M speakers in South Sudan and adjacent Ethiopia (Gambela). Closely related to Dinka — together forming the Dinka-Nuer cluster — Nuer and Dinka share much of their core vocabulary and basic grammar, and speakers can often understand each other to varying degrees. Nuer has notable vowel-length distinctions (short, long, overlong) and three voice qualities (modal, breathy, creaky). Significant Nuer diaspora communities exist in the United States (Minneapolis, Omaha) following the Sudanese civil wars. Latin script with diacritics; the Nuer Bible was translated in the early 20th century.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Nuer
Water
pi
/pi/
Fire
mäc
/mɛtʃ/
Sun
caŋ
/tʃaŋ/
Moon
pay
/paj/
Mother
maar
/maːr/
Father
gwaar
/ɡwaːr/
Eat
cam
/tʃam/
Drink
math
/mat̪/
Love
nhok
/nok/
Heart
lëŋ
/lɛŋ/
Tree
jïath
/dʒiat̪/
House
dööl
/dɔːl/
Dog
jiek
/dʒiek/
Cat
gec
/ɡetʃ/
Hand
tet
/tet/
Eye
wäk
/wɛk/
Hello
malɛ
/malɛ/
Thank you
lɛrnyä
/lɛɾɲa/
One
kɛl
/kɛl/
Good
gɔaa
/ɡɔaː/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic) languages
| Meaning | Nuer | Anuak | Dinka | Luo | Acholi | Lango | Khmu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pi /pi/ | pii /piː/ | piu /piu/ | pi /pi/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | ɔm /ʔɔm/ |
| Fire | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mach /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | ʔus /ʔus/ |
| Sun | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | chieng' /tʃieŋ/ | ceng /tʃeŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃeŋ/ | maŋ /maŋ/ |
| Moon | pay /paj/ | dwee /dweː/ | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | kee /keː/ |
| Mother | maar /maːr/ | min /min/ | man /man/ | mama /mama/ | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | mɔɔʔ /mɔːʔ/ |
| Father | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | waad /waːd/ | wun /wun/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | papo /papo/ | ʔaaʔ /ʔaːʔ/ |
| Eat | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | cam /tʃam/ | camo /tʃamo/ | caa /tʃaː/ |
| Drink | math /mat̪/ | maath /maːt̪/ | dek /dek/ | madho /maðo/ | mat /mat/ | matho /matʰo/ | ɲɔɔp /ɲɔːp/ |
| Love | nhok /nok/ | mar /mar/ | nhiär /n̪iar/ | hera /hera/ | mar /mar/ | amara /amara/ | kɔɔh /kɔːh/ |
| Heart | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | piöu /piɔu/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | kruɛŋ /kruɛŋ/ |
| Tree | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | yat /jat/ | tim /tim/ | yath /jaθ/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | cmuul /tʃmuːl/ |
| House | dööl /dɔːl/ | ot /ot/ | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | kaaŋ /kaːŋ/ |
| Dog | jiek /dʒiek/ | guok /ɡuok/ | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | guok /ɡuok/ | gwok /ɡʷok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | cɔ /tʃɔ/ |
| Cat | gec /ɡetʃ/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | paka /paka/ | ngabu /ŋabu/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | meeo /meːo/ |
| Hand | tet /tet/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cin /tʃin/ | lwedo /lwedo/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | tii /tiː/ |
| Eye | wäk /wɛk/ | waang /waːŋ/ | nyin /ɲin/ | wang' /waŋ/ | wang /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | ŋtaa /ŋtaː/ |
| Hello | malɛ /malɛ/ | mali /mali/ | ke yïn /ke jin/ | misawa /misawa/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | lɔh /lɔh/ |
| Thank you | lɛrnyä /lɛɾɲa/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | erokamano /erokamano/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | ɔrkun /ʔɔrkun/ |
| One | kɛl /kɛl/ | acel /atʃel/ | tök /tɔk/ | achiel /atʃiel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | muei /muei/ |
| Good | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | ber /ber/ | piath /piat̪/ | maber /maber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | gee /ɡeː/ |
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