Dha-Anywaa
Anuak
Nilo-Saharan
Anuak (Anywaa, autonymously Dha-Anywaa) is a Western Nilotic Lwoo language of the lower Sobat River basin straddling South Sudan (Upper Nile State, Pochalla County) and Ethiopia (Gambela Region). The Anuak community of approximately 250,000 people are traditionally cattle-keeping floodplain agriculturalists, distinguished from neighbouring Nuer (nus) by their settled-village social organisation around hereditary chiefs (kwaaro). Linguistically, Anuak shares Lwoo Western Nilotic features with sister languages Acholi (ach), Lango (laj), and Luo (luo) — including ATR vowel harmony with two harmonic sets, a complex tone system (typically 3-4 tone register), and verbal aspect-mood morphology. Reh's 1996 Anywa Language: Description and Internal Reconstructions is the major modern academic documentation. The Anuak community of Gambela Region was severely affected by the 2003 Gambela massacre and ongoing tensions with the Ethiopian state.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Anuak
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Nilo-Saharan
| Meaning | Anuak | Acholi | Lango | Luo | Nuer | Dinka | Kalenjin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pi /pi/ | pi /pi/ | piu /piu/ | beek /beːk/ |
| Fire | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mach /matʃ/ | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | maat /maːt/ |
| Sun | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | ceng /tʃɛŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃɛŋ/ | chiengʼ /tʃiɛŋ/ | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | asis /asis/ |
| Moon | dwee /dweː/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | pay /paj/ | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | arawa /arawa/ |
| Star | cero /tʃero/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwɛ/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwɛ/ | sulwe /sulwɛ/ | räl /ral/ | kuel /kwɛl/ | kokeel /kokeːl/ |
| Night | wɛr /wɛr/ | dyewor /dʲɛwor/ | owuor /owuor/ | otieno /otiɛno/ | wɛr /wɛr/ | wakɔu /wakɔu/ | kemeut /kemeut/ |
| Wind | yamo /jamo/ | yamo /jamo/ | yamo /jamo/ | yamo /jamo/ | jiom /dʒiom/ | yom /jom/ | usoonet /usoːnet/ |
| Stone | kidi /kidi/ | kidi /kidi/ | gweŋ /ɡweŋ/ | kidi /ˈkidi/ | päm /pam/ | kuur /kuːr/ | koita /koita/ |
| Mother | min /min/ | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | mama /mama/ | maar /maːr/ | man /man/ | kamet /kamet/ |
| Father | waad /waːd/ | baba /baba/ | papo /papo/ | baba /baba/ | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | wun /wun/ | kwanda /kwanda/ |
| I | än /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | ɣän /ɣan/ | ɣɛn /ɣɛn/ | anee /aneː/ |
| You | in /in/ | in /in/ | yin /jin/ | in /in/ | jin /jin/ | yïn /jin/ | inyee /iɲeː/ |
| We | wän /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | kɔn /kɔn/ | ɣok /ɣɔk/ | acheek /atʃeːk/ |
| Name | nyiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | ciot /tɕɔːt/ | rin /rin/ | kaina /kaina/ |
| Head | wic /witʃ/ | wic /witʃ/ | wic /witʃ/ | wich /witʃ/ | wic /witʃ/ | nhom /n̪om/ | metit /metit/ |
| Eye | waang /waːŋ/ | wang /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | wangʼ /waŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | nyin /ɲin/ | konda /konda/ |
| Ear | yith /jiθ/ | it /it/ | it /it/ | it /it/ | jith /dʒiθ/ | yith /jic/ | itit /itit/ |
| Nose | wum /wum/ | um /um/ | um /um/ | um /um/ | wum /wum/ | wum /wum/ | serut /serut/ |
| Tooth | leo /leo/ | lak /lak/ | lak /lak/ | lak /lak/ | lei /lei/ | lec /letʃ/ | kelet /kelet/ |
| Tongue | lɛph /lɛpʰ/ | leb /lɛb/ | leb /lɛb/ | lep /lɛp/ | lɛp /lɛpʰ/ | liep /liep/ | ngelyepta /ŋeljepta/ |
| Hand | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | lwedo /lwɛdo/ | tet /tet/ | cin /tʃin/ | eut /eut/ |
| Foot | tielo /tielo/ | tyen /tʲɛn/ | tyen /tjɛn/ | tielo /tiɛlo/ | cio̱o̱k /tɕɔːk/ | cök /tʃɔk/ | keldo /keldo/ |
| Heart | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | piöu /piɔu/ | muguleldo /muɡuleldo/ |
| Bone | cou /tʃou/ | cogo /tʃoɡo/ | cogo /tʃoɡo/ | chogo /tʃoɡo/ | cɔɣ /tʃɔɣ/ | yuɔɔm /juɔːm/ | kowet /kowet/ |
| Blood | remoʼ /rɛmoʔ/ | remo /rɛmo/ | rem /rɛm/ | remo /rɛmo/ | riɛm /riɛm/ | riɛm /riɛm/ | korotik /korotik/ |
| Love | mar /mar/ | mar /mar/ | amara /amara/ | hera /hera/ | nhok /nok/ | nhiär /n̪iar/ | chamyet /tʃamjet/ |
| Tree | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yath /jaθ/ | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | tim /tim/ | keetit /keːtit/ |
| Dog | guok /ɡuok/ | gwok /ɡʷok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | jiek /dʒiek/ | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | ses /ses/ |
| Cat | nyamur /ɲamur/ | ngabu /ŋabu/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | paka /paka/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | paka /paka/ |
| Fish | reo /reoʔ/ | rec /rɛtʃ/ | rec /rɛtʃ/ | rech /rɛtʃ/ | rec /rɛtʃ/ | rec /rɛtʃ/ | njiryot /ndʒirjot/ |
| Egg | tøŋ gwienø /tøŋ ɡwienø/ | tong /toŋ/ | toŋ /toŋ/ | tongʼ /toŋ/ | tuoŋ /tuɔŋ/ | tuɔŋ /tuɔŋ/ | mayaiyat /majaijat/ |
| Horse | okweeny /okweːɲ/ | aguragura /aɡuraɡura/ | aguragura /aɡuraɡura/ | faras /faras/ | jio̱k tuɔ̱ruɔ̱k /dʒiɔk tuɔruɔk/ | mathiaŋ /mat̪iaŋ/ | mbartanyit /mbartaɲit/ |
| House | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | dööl /dɔːl/ | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | gaa /ɡaː/ |
| Milk | caak /tʃaːk/ | cak /tʃak/ | cak /tʃak/ | chak /tʃak/ | cak /tʃak/ | ca /tʃa/ | chego /tʃeɡo/ |
| Honey | maar kïc /maːr kitʃ/ | kic /kitʃ/ | moo kic /moː kitʃ/ | mor kich /mor kitʃ/ | tuaar /tuaːr/ | kiɛ̈c /kiɛtʃ/ | kumyat /kumjat/ |
| Wine | køøŋ nyïïomøki /køːŋ ɲiːomøki/ | bwino /bwino/ | koŋo /koŋo/ | divai /divai/ | kɔaŋ /kɔaŋ/ | mɔ̈u /mɔu/ | divai /divai/ |
| Eat | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | camo /tʃamo/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | am /am/ |
| Drink | maath /maːt̪/ | mat /mat/ | matho /matʰo/ | madho /maðo/ | math /mat̪/ | dek /dek/ | ee /eː/ |
| Sleep | nin /nin/ | nino /nino/ | nino /nino/ | nindo /nindo/ | nin /nin/ | nin /niːn/ | ru /ru/ |
| One | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃɛl/ | acel /atʃɛl/ | achiel /atʃiɛl/ | kɛl /kɛl/ | tök /tɔk/ | agenge /aɡeŋe/ |
| Two | aryew /arjɛw/ | aryo /arjo/ | aryo /arjo/ | ariyo /arijo/ | rew /rɛw/ | rou /rou/ | aeng /aeŋ/ |
| Three | adak /adʌk/ | adek /adek/ | adek /adek/ | adek /adek/ | diɔ̱k /dijɔk/ | diak /diak/ | somok /somok/ |
| Four | angween /aŋweːn/ | angwen /aŋwɛn/ | angwen /aŋwɛn/ | angʼwen /aŋwɛn/ | ŋuan /ŋwan/ | ŋuan /ŋuan/ | angwan /aŋwan/ |
| Five | abic /abitʃ/ | abic /abitʃ/ | abic /aˈbitʃ/ | abich /abitʃ/ | dhieec /ɟiec/ | dhiëc /ɟiɛc/ | muut /muːt/ |
| Hundred | dipa /dipa/ | miya /mija/ | mia /miə/ | mia /mia/ | kuɔ̱r /kuɔr/ | buɔt /buɔt/ | bogol /boɡol/ |
| Hello | mali /mali/ | itye nining /itʲɛ niniŋ/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | misawa /misawa/ | malɛ /malɛ/ | ke yïn /ke jin/ | chamege /tʃameɡe/ |
| Thank you | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | erokamano /erokamano/ | lɛrnyä /lɛrɲa/ | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | kongoi /koŋoi/ |
| Good | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | maber /maber/ | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | piath /piat̪/ | karaaran /karaːran/ |
| New | nyään /ɲaːn/ | manyen /maɲɛn/ | anyen /aɲen/ | manyien /maɲien/ | — | yam /jam/ | leel /leːl/ |
| Red | kwaar /kwaːr/ | makwar /makwar/ | makwar /makwar/ | makwar /makwar/ | lual /lual/ | thith /tʰitʰ/ | birirben /birirben/ |
| White | tar /tar/ | tar /tar/ | tar /tar/ | rachar /ratʃar/ | bor /bor/ | ɣer /ɣer/ | leel /leːl/ |
| Black | cøl /tʃøl/ | macol /matʃol/ | acol /atʃol/ | ratengʼ /ratɛŋ/ | car /tʃar/ | col /tʃol/ | tuui /tuːi/ |
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