Anuak language

Last updated
Anuak
Dha Anywaa
Native to Ethiopia, South Sudan
Region Gambela, Greater Upper Nile
Ethnicity Anuak
Native speakers
220,000 (2007–2017) [1]
Ge'ez, Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3 anu
Glottolog anua1242

Anuak or Anywaa is a Luo language which belongs to the western Nilotic branch of the Nilotic language family. It is spoken primarily in the western part of Ethiopia and also in South Sudan by the Anuak people. Other names for this language include: Anyuak, Anywa, Yambo, Jambo, Yembo, Bar, Burjin, Miroy, Moojanga, Nuro. [1] Anuak, Päri, and Jur-Luwo constitute a dialect cluster. [2] The most thorough description of the Anuak language is Reh (1996) Anywa Language: Description and Internal Reconstructions, which also includes glossed texts.

Contents

Phonology

Anuak is notable for lacking phonemic fricatives. [2]

Consonants

Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive/
affricate
fortis p t c k
lenis b d ɟ ɡ
Approximant w l j
Trill r

Vowels

Front Back
Unrounded Rounded
Close i iː u uː
Near-Close ɪ ɪː ʊ ʊː
Close-mid e eː o oː
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ʌ ʌː ɔ ɔː
Open a aː

Diphthongs

Front Back
Close ieuo
Near-Close ɪɛʊɔ

Tones

DescriptionIPA
Rising˩˥
High˦
Mid˧
Low˨

References

  1. 1 2 Anuak at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. 1 2 Reh, Mechthild (1996): Anywa Language: Description and Internal Reconstructions. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe. p.5