Dinka language

Phonology Consonants There are 20 consonant phonemes: Vowels Dinka has a rich vowel system, with thirteen phonemically contrastive short vowels. There are seven vowel qualities plus a two-way distinction in phonation. The underdots, , mark the breathy voice series, represented in Dinka orthography by diaereses, . Unmarked vowels are modal or creaky voiced. Four phonetic phonations have been described in Dinka vowels: modal voice, breathy voice, faucalized voice, and harsh voice. The modal series has creaky or harsh voice realizations in certain environments, while the breathy vowels are centralized and have been described as being hollow voiced (faucalized). This is independent of tone. Most Dinka verb roots are single, closed syllables with either a short or a long vowel. Some inflections lengthen that vowel: • 'isolate\' • 'isolate\' • 'provoke\' • 'provoke\' Tone The extensive use of tone and its interaction with morphology is a notable feature of all dialects of Dinka. The Bor dialects all have four tonemes at the syllable level: Low, High, Mid, and Fall. it is not found at all. In Bor proper, and perhaps in other dialects as well, Fall is only realized as such at the end of a prosodic phrase. Elsewhere it becomes High. In Bor proper and perhaps other dialects, a Low tone is phonetically low only after another low tone. Elsewhere it is falling, but not identical to Fall: It does not become High in the middle of a phrase, and speakers can distinguish the two falling tones despite the fact that they have the same range of pitch. The difference appears to be in the timing: with Fall one hears a high level tone that then falls, whereas the falling allophone of Low starts falling and then levels out. (That is, one falls on the first mora of the vowel, whereas the other falls on the second mora.) This is unusual because it has been theorized that such timing differences are never phonemic. Morphology This language exhibits vowel ablaut or apophony, the change of internal vowels (similar to English goose/geese): ==Dialects==

Linguists divide Dinka into five languages or dialect clusters corresponding to their geographic location with respect to each other: Northeastern and western: • Padaŋ de Ayuël jiel (Abiliang, Nyiël, Ageer, Döŋjɔl). • Luäc (Akook, Wieu, Aguer) • Ŋɔŋ de Jok (Upper Nile) • Rut • Thoi Western: • Ŋɔŋ de Jok Athuorkok (Abyei) • Ŋɔŋ de Jok de Awet • Kuel de Ruweeng (Panaru, Aloor ku Paweny) South Central: • Aliab • Ciëc (Jang) • Gɔ̈k • Agaar Southeastern: • Bor • Twic (Twi) • Nyarweng • Hol Southwestern: • Malual-Jiɛrnyaaŋ (Abiëm, Paliëët, Aroyo, Paliëupiny ku Pajok) • Luänyjäŋ • Twic Bol Rek • Aguɔɔk • Apuk • Awan Cän ku Awan Mɔ̈u • Kuac Ayɔɔk • Abiëm Mayar • Abiɔŋ Ayɔɔm • Nöi Ayii • Nyaŋ Aköc • Atok Buk • Ler Akën • Awan Parek • Lɔn Mawien • Lɔn Paɣer • Kɔŋgör Arop • Apuk Padɔc • Muɔk Aköt Wut • Yär Ayiɛɛi • Apuk Jurwïïr • Thɔny Amɔ̈u • Luäny Bol Malek • Aköök Deŋ Acuïïl • Thïïk/Thïŋ Majɔk • Kɔŋ-ŋör Akuëcbɛ̈ny • Pakɔɔr • Adöör Mabiör Dääu • Bäc These would be largely mutually intelligible if it were not for the importance of tone in grammatical inflection, as the grammatical function of tone differs from one variety to another. See Ethnologue online map of Sudan for locations of dialects. ==Writing system==

Dinka was first written with several different Latin alphabets developed by missionaries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its current script, which is based on a system used by other southern Sudanese languages, was declared official at the 1928 Rejaf Language Conference. The first translation of the New Testament into Dinka was released in 2006. ==Sample Text==

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Dinka:  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. ==See also==

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