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
31 core words in Nuer
Water
pi
/pi/
Fire
mäc
/mɛtʃ/
Sun
caŋ
/tʃaŋ/
Moon
pay
/paj/
Star
räl
/ral/
Mother
maar
/maːr/
Father
gwaar
/ɡwaːr/
I
ɣän
/ɣan/
You
jin
/jin/
Name
ciot
/tɕɔːt/
Eye
waŋ
/waŋ/
Hand
tet
/tet/
Heart
lëŋ
/lɛŋ/
Love
nhok
/nok/
Tree
jïath
/dʒiat̪/
House
dööl
/dɔːl/
Dog
jiek
/dʒiek/
Cat
gec
/ɡetʃ/
Eat
cam
/tʃam/
Drink
math
/mat̪/
One
kɛl
/kɛl/
Two
rew
/rɛw/
Hello
malɛ
/malɛ/
Thank you
lɛrnyä
/lɛɾɲa/
Good
gɔaa
/ɡɔaː/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic) languages
| Meaning | Nuer | Anuak | Luo | Lango | Acholi | Dinka | Khmu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pi /pi/ | pii /piː/ | pi /pi/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | piu /piu/ | ɔm /ʔɔm/ |
| Fire | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mach /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | ʔus /ʔus/ |
| Sun | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | chieng' /tʃieŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃeŋ/ | ceng /tʃeŋ/ | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | maŋ /maŋ/ |
| Moon | pay /paj/ | dwee /dweː/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | kee /keː/ |
| Star | räl /ral/ | lɛɛr /lɛːr/ | sulwe /sulwe/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwe/ | kuel /kwɛl/ | sənʔaang /sənʔaːŋ/ |
| Mother | maar /maːr/ | min /min/ | mama /mama/ | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | man /man/ | mɔɔʔ /mɔːʔ/ |
| Father | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | waad /waːd/ | baba /baba/ | papo /papo/ | baba /baba/ | wun /wun/ | ʔaaʔ /ʔaːʔ/ |
| I | ɣän /ɣan/ | än /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | ɣɛn /ɣɛn/ | oʔ /ʔoʔ/ |
| You | jin /jin/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | yin /jin/ | in /in/ | yïn /jɪn/ | meʔ /meʔ/ |
| Name | ciot /tɕɔːt/ | nyiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | rin /rin/ | hmɔh /hmɔh/ |
| Eye | waŋ /waŋ/ | waang /waːŋ/ | wang' /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | wang /waŋ/ | nyin /ɲin/ | ŋtaa /ŋtaː/ |
| Hand | tet /tet/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | lwedo /lwedo/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cin /tʃin/ | tii /tiː/ |
| Heart | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | piöu /piɔu/ | kruɛŋ /kruɛŋ/ |
| Love | nhok /nok/ | mar /mar/ | hera /hera/ | amara /amara/ | mar /mar/ | nhiär /n̪iar/ | kɔɔh /kɔːh/ |
| Tree | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | yat /jat/ | yath /jaθ/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | tim /tim/ | cmuul /tʃmuːl/ |
| House | dööl /dɔːl/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | kaaŋ /kaːŋ/ |
| Dog | jiek /dʒiek/ | guok /ɡuok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | gwok /ɡʷok/ | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | cɔ /tʃɔ/ |
| Cat | gec /ɡetʃ/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | paka /paka/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | ngabu /ŋabu/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | meeo /meːo/ |
| Eat | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | camo /tʃamo/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | caa /tʃaː/ |
| Drink | math /mat̪/ | maath /maːt̪/ | madho /maðo/ | matho /matʰo/ | mat /mat/ | dek /dek/ | ɲɔɔp /ɲɔːp/ |
| One | kɛl /kɛl/ | acel /atʃel/ | achiel /atʃiel/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃel/ | tök /tɔk/ | muei /muei/ |
| Two | rew /rɛw/ | aryew /arjɛw/ | ariyo /arijo/ | aryo /arjo/ | aryo /arjo/ | rou /rou/ | baar /baːr/ |
| Hello | malɛ /malɛ/ | mali /mali/ | misawa /misawa/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | ke yïn /ke jin/ | lɔh /lɔh/ |
| Thank you | lɛrnyä /lɛɾɲa/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | erokamano /erokamano/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | ɔrkun /ʔɔrkun/ |
| Good | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | ber /ber/ | maber /maber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | piath /piat̪/ | gee /ɡeː/ |
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