Nuer language
| Nuer | |
|---|---|
| Naadh | |
| Native to | South Sudan, Ethiopia |
| Region | Upper Nile state, Gambela Region, Jonglei State |
| Ethnicity | Nuer |
|
Native speakers
|
(890,000 cited 1982–2007) |
|
Nilo-Saharan?
|
|
| Dialects |
|
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | nuer1246 |
The Nuer language (Naath) is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Western Nilotic group. It is spoken by the Nuer people of South Sudan and in western Ethiopia (region of Gambela). Nuer is one of eastern and central Africa's most widely spoken languages, along with the Dinka language. The language is very similar to the languages of Jieng and Chollo.
Nuer language has a Latin-based alphabet. There are also several dialects of Nuer, although all have one written standard. For example, final /k/ is pronounced in the Jikany dialect, but is dropped in other dialects despite being indicated in Nuer orthography.
There are different dialects spoken by Nuer groups living in various locations in South Sudan. Some of the Nuer people live in Western Ethiopia. They are called Jikany Nuer. The Nuer of the Upper Nile State are called Jikany, and those in Jonglei State Lou, Gawaar, Thiang and Laak. Nuer-speaking Sudanese refugees have formed a significant community in Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
There are also seven counties inhabited by the other groups of Nuer in the western part of the Upper Nile state. These are the counties of:
Nuer: Naath dial diethɛ kɛ a lɔr kä päärkɛ kɛ ciaŋ malä a mäni cuŋkiɛn. Tekɛ kɛ ca̱r kɛnɛ nhök ti de lät kɛ raan kɛ dämaan a gɔa.
English: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
The alphabet of Nuer uses 39 distinct letters, shown below in capitals and lowercase styles. Or majuscules and minuscules
The Nuer Language uses a modified version of Latin script for their Written language. The writing system was adopted in 1928 with minor changes being added over the history of the language. Both the Dinka and the Nuer agreed that their languages were so different that they could never share written languages, so they came up with a common one following these principles.
...
Wikipedia