Jur language
Language spoken by the Luo people of South Sudan's Bahr El Ghazal region
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
| Luwo | |
|---|---|
| Jur | |
| Native to | South Sudan |
| Region | Bahr el Ghazal |
| Ethnicity | Luwo people |
Native speakers | 260,000 (2017)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | lwo |
| Glottolog | luwo1239 |
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.[2]
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.[3] 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.[citation needed]
Status
Dhe Luwo is currently a developing language. Meaning that the language is developing its written language, standard dialect and undergoing modernization.[4]
Phonology
Consonants
- /k/ can sometimes be heard as [ɣ] in intervocalic position.
- /ŋ/ can sometimes be heard as [h] in intervocalic position among speakers of the eastern dialects.
- /r/ can be heard as a tap [ɾ] in word-final position.
- All consonant sounds except the voiced stops /b, d̪, d, ɟ, ɡ/ and the two glides /w, j/ can occur as geminated [Cː].
- Labialization [Cʷ] may occur among all consonants except /d̪, ɟ, n̪, n, r, w, j/.
- Palatalization [Cʲ] may occur among consonants /t, c, d̪, ɡ, m, l/.[5]
Vowels
Sample phrases
| English | Luwo |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Child | Nyithiin |
| Boy | Nyidhohg |
| Girl | Nyakuo |
| God is great. | Juag Duohng. |
| Good | Ber |
| Thank you! | Kori! |
| I am happy. | Ciwnya med. |
