Dinka is a member of the Western Nilotic branch of Nilo-Saharan languages. It is spoken by about 4.2 million people mailny in southern Sudan and in South Sudan. In particular, it is spoken on the west bank of the White Nile in South Kordofan state of Sudan, and in the Bahr el Ghazal region and Upper Nile state of South Sudan.
Dinka is spoken by the Dinka people, who call themselves Jiëŋ, and they call their langauge Thuɔŋjäŋ, Thoŋ ë Jieng or Jieng. There are five major dialects: Ngok, Rek, Agaar, Twic/Twi East and Bork, which are more or less mutually intelligible. The Rek dialect is considered the standard or prestige variety.
A number of methods for writing Dinka using the Latin alphabet were developed by missionaries during the 19th and 20th centuries. Information about the language first appeared in Die Dinka-Sprache in Central-Afrika by Johannes Chrysostomus Mitterrutzner, which was publised in 1866. The current Latin orthography is derived from the alphabet developed for the southern Sudanese languages at the Rejaf language conference in 1928.
Download an alphabet chart for Dinka (Excel)
Information and corrections by Michael Peter Füstumum
Raan thök eben aye dhëëth ka lau nhöm kua thöŋ nhiim eyithiic, kua thɛ̈kic, kua ci yëknhiethku puou, ku bik cëŋ ka ke ye mith etik.
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)
Information about Dinka | Numbers
Information about the Dinka language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinka_language
http://www.sil.org/silewp/abstract.asp?ref=2004-003
https://pioockuthuongjangda.wordpress.com/tag/dinka-language/
http://www.languagesgulper.com/eng/Dinka.html
Dinka-English dictionary (PDF)
http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/Nilo-Saharan/Nilotic/Comparative%20Dinka%20lexicon%20converted.pdf
Acholi, Adhola, Alur, Anuak, Ateso, Bari, Belanda Bor, Datooga, Dholuo, Dinka, Dongotono, Kakwa, Karamojong, Keiyo, Kipsigis, Kupsabiny, Lango (South Sudan), Lango (Uganda), Lopit, Lotuko, Maasai, Mandari, Markwet, Nandi, Nuer, Terik, Toposa, Turkana
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 17.09.24
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