Jur language explained

Luwo
Also Known As:Jur
States:South Sudan
Region:Bahr el Ghazal
Ethnicity:Luwo people
Date:2017
Ref:e25
Familycolor:Nilo-Saharan
Fam2:Eastern Sudanic?
Fam3:Kir–Abbaian?
Fam4:Nilotic
Fam5:Western
Fam6:Luo
Fam7:Northern
Fam8:Luwo–Thuri
Iso3:lwo
Glotto:luwo1239
Glottorefname:Luwo

Luwo (Luo, Dheluwo), is a language spoken by the Luo people of Bahr el Ghazal region in South Sudan. The language is predominantly spoken in the western and northern parts of Bahr el Ghazal. The Luwo form a majority in the Jur River County.

The language is part of the Luo languages of East Africa and is especially related to the languages of South Sudan such as Anyuak and Päri with whom it forms a dialect cluster.[1]

Etymology

The Luwo language is spoken by the Luwo (or Jur Col), an ethnic group in South Sudan. Jur is exonym adopted from the local Dinka language whose speakers are the Luwo's northern and eastern neighbours.[2] Its original Dinka usage, non-cattle-holding non-Dinka, was not particular to the Jur. Jur Col ("black Jur") is today used to disambiguate Luwo from other Jur groups.

Status

Dhe Luwo is currently a developing language. Meaning that the language is developing its written language, standard dialect and undergoing modernization.[3]

Phonology

Consonants

LabialDentalAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Nasalmnɲŋ
Plosiveptckʔ
bdɟg
Trillr
Laterall
Approximantwj

Vowels

! colspan="3"
+ATR-ATR
FrontCentralBackFrontCentralBack
Closei iːu uːɪ ɪːʊ ʊː
Mide eːʌ̈ ʌ̈ːo oːɛ ɛːɔ ɔː
Opena aː
! colspan="3"
+ATR-ATR
FrontCentralBackFrontCentralBack
Closei̤ i̤ːṳ ṳːɪ̤ ɪ̤ːʊ̤ ʊ̤ː
Mide̤ e̤ːʌ̤̈ ʌ̤̈ːo̤ o̤ːɛ̤ ɛ̤ːɔ̤ ɔ̤ː
Opena̤ a̤ː

Sample phrases

EnglishLuwo
Hello (How are you?)Mahdhia (Ni dih)?
I am fine (nothing bad)Gihn me raaj tooro.
What is your name?Nyingi nga'a?
My name is Dimo.Nyinga Dimo.
ChildNyithiin
BoyNyidhohg
GirlNyakuo
God is great.Juag Duohng.
GoodBer
Thank you!Kori!
I am happy.Ciwnya med.

Notes and References

  1. Reh, Mechthild (1996): Anywa Language: Description and Internal Reconstructions. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe. p.5
  2. Book: Santandrea, Stefano. The Luo of the Bahr el Ghazal (Sudan). 1968. Bologna. Editrice Nigrizia.
  3. News: Language Development. 2012-11-20. Ethnologue. 2016-10-27.
  4. Book: Storch, Anne . A Grammar of Luwo: An anthropological approach . Amsterdam/Philadelphia, Amsterdam: John Benjamins . 2014.