Thok Nath
Nuer
Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic)
Nuer (Thok Nath) is a Western Nilotic Nilo-Saharan language with ~1.5M speakers in South Sudan and adjacent Ethiopia (Gambela). Closely related to Dinka — together forming the Dinka-Nuer cluster — Nuer and Dinka share much of their core vocabulary and basic grammar, and speakers can often understand each other to varying degrees. Nuer has notable vowel-length distinctions (short, long, overlong) and three voice qualities (modal, breathy, creaky). Significant Nuer diaspora communities exist in the United States (Minneapolis, Omaha) following the Sudanese civil wars. Latin script with diacritics; the Nuer Bible was translated in the early 20th century.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Nuer
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Nilo-Saharan (Western Nilotic)
| Meaning | Nuer | Dinka | Anuak | Lango | Acholi | Luo | Old Khmer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pi /pi/ | piu /piu/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pii /piː/ | pi /pi/ | ទឹក /dɪk/ |
| Fire | mäc /mɛtʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mac /matʃ/ | mach /matʃ/ | ភ្លើង /wlɤːŋ/ |
| Sun | caŋ /tʃaŋ/ | akɔ̈l /akɔl/ | ceeŋ /tʃeːŋ/ | ceŋ /tʃɛŋ/ | ceng /tʃɛŋ/ | chiengʼ /tʃiɛŋ/ | ព្រះអាទិត្យ /wrah ʔaˈdɪt/ |
| Moon | pay /paj/ | pɛɛi /pɛːi/ | dwee /dweː/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | dwe /dwe/ | ខែ /kʰae/ |
| Star | räl /ral/ | kuel /kwɛl/ | cero /tʃero/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwɛ/ | lakalatwe /lakalatwɛ/ | sulwe /sulwɛ/ | ផ្កាយ /pkaːj/ |
| Night | wɛr /wɛr/ | wakɔu /wakɔu/ | wɛr /wɛr/ | owuor /owuor/ | dyewor /dʲɛwor/ | otieno /otiɛno/ | យប់ /jɔp/ |
| Rain | nhiaal /n̪iaːl/ | deng /deŋ/ | — | kot /kot/ | kot /kot/ | koth /kɔθ/ | ផ្លេង /pʰleːŋ/ |
| Wind | jiom /dʒiom/ | yom /jom/ | yamo /jamo/ | yamo /jamo/ | yamo /jamo/ | yamo /jamo/ | ខ្យល /kʰjɔl/ |
| Earth | piny /piɲ/ | piny /pinʲ/ | — | ngom /ŋom/ | ngom /ŋɔm/ | lowo /loːwo/ | ភូមិ /pʰuːmi/ |
| Stone | päm /pam/ | kuur /kuːr/ | kidi /kidi/ | gweŋ /ɡweŋ/ | kidi /kidi/ | kidi /ˈkidi/ | ថ្មោ /tʰmɔː/ |
| Sea | bar /bar/ | — | — | nam /nam/ | nam /nam/ | nam /nam/ | — |
| Mother | maar /maːr/ | man /man/ | min /min/ | mego /meɡo/ | mego /meɡo/ | mama /mama/ | មាតា /maːtaː/ |
| Father | gwaar /ɡwaːr/ | wun /wun/ | waad /waːd/ | papo /papo/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | បិតា /pitaː/ |
| Daughter | nya /ɲa/ | nyan /ɲan/ | — | nya /ɲa/ | nya /ɲa/ | nyar /ɲar/ | — |
| I | ɣän /ɣan/ | ɣɛn /ɣɛn/ | än /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | an /an/ | អញ /ʔaɲ/ |
| You | jin /jin/ | yïn /jin/ | in /in/ | yin /jin/ | in /in/ | in /in/ | ឯង /ʔeːŋ/ |
| We | kɔn /kɔn/ | ɣok /ɣɔk/ | wän /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | យើង /jɤːŋ/ |
| Name | ciot /tɕɔːt/ | rin /rin/ | nyiŋ /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | nying /ɲiŋ/ | ជ្មុះ /cmuəh/ |
| Person | raan /raːn/ | raan /raːn/ | — | dano /dano/ | dano /dano/ | dhano /ðano/ | មនុឞ្យ /manuʂja/ |
| Head | wic /witʃ/ | nhom /n̪om/ | wic /witʃ/ | wic /witʃ/ | wic /witʃ/ | wich /witʃ/ | កបាល /kapaːl/ |
| Eye | waŋ /waŋ/ | nyin /ɲin/ | waang /waːŋ/ | waŋ /waŋ/ | wang /waŋ/ | wangʼ /waŋ/ | ភ្នែក /wnɛːk/ |
| Ear | jith /dʒiθ/ | yith /jic/ | yith /jiθ/ | it /it/ | it /it/ | it /it/ | ច្រច្យក /crəciːək/ |
| Nose | wum /wum/ | wum /wum/ | wum /wum/ | um /um/ | um /um/ | um /um/ | ច្រមុះ /crəˈmʊh/ |
| Mouth | thok /t̪ɔk/ | thok /t̪ɔk/ | — | dog /doɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dhok /ðok/ | មត /mat/ |
| Tooth | lei /lei/ | lec /letʃ/ | leo /leo/ | lak /lak/ | lak /lak/ | lak /lak/ | ធ្មេញ /tʰmiɲ/ |
| Tongue | lɛp /lɛpʰ/ | liep /liep/ | lɛph /lɛpʰ/ | leb /lɛb/ | leb /lɛb/ | lep /lɛp/ | អណ្ដាត /ʔandaːt/ |
| Hand | tet /tet/ | cin /tʃin/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | cing /tʃiŋ/ | lwedo /lwɛdo/ | ហស្ត /hast/ |
| Foot | cio̱o̱k /tɕɔːk/ | cök /tʃɔk/ | tielo /tielo/ | tyen /tjɛn/ | tyen /tʲɛn/ | tielo /tiɛlo/ | ជើង /ɟɤːŋ/ |
| Heart | lëŋ /lɛŋ/ | piöu /piɔu/ | cuny /tʃuɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | cwiny /tʃwiɲ/ | chuny /tʃuɲ/ | ហ្ឫទ័យ /hridəj/ |
| Bone | cɔɣ /tʃɔɣ/ | yuɔɔm /juɔːm/ | cou /tʃou/ | cogo /tʃoɡo/ | cogo /tʃoɡo/ | chogo /tʃoɡo/ | ឆ្អឹង /cʰʔəŋ/ |
| Blood | riɛm /riɛm/ | riɛm /riɛm/ | remoʼ /rɛmoʔ/ | rem /rɛm/ | remo /rɛmo/ | remo /rɛmo/ | ឈាម /cʰiəm/ |
| Love | nhok /nok/ | nhiär /n̪iar/ | mar /mar/ | amara /amara/ | mar /mar/ | hera /hera/ | ស្នេហា /snɛːh/ |
| Tree | jïath /dʒiat̪/ | tim /tim/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yat /jat/ | yath /jaθ/ | ដើមឈើ /daəm tʃʰəː/ |
| Dog | jiek /dʒiek/ | jɔ̈ŋ /dʒɔŋ/ | guok /ɡuok/ | gwok /ɡwok/ | gwok /ɡʷok/ | guok /ɡuok/ | ឆ្កែ /cʰkɛː/ |
| Cat | gec /ɡetʃ/ | gec /ɡetʃ/ | nyamur /ɲamur/ | mbweko /mbweko/ | ngabu /ŋabu/ | paka /paka/ | ឆ្មា /tʃʰmaː/ |
| Fish | rec /rɛtʃ/ | rec /rɛtʃ/ | reo /reoʔ/ | rec /rɛtʃ/ | rec /rɛtʃ/ | rech /rɛtʃ/ | ត្រី /triː/ |
| Bird | dit /dit/ | diɛt /diɛt/ | — | winyo /wiɲo/ | winyo /wiɲo/ | winyo /wiɲo/ | — |
| Butterfly | del kwoth /dɛl kwɔt̪/ | dap /dap/ | — | kapwopwo /kapwopwo/ | lapwopwo /lapwopwo/ | oguyo /oɡujo/ | — |
| Egg | tuoŋ /tuɔŋ/ | tuɔŋ /tuɔŋ/ | tøŋ gwienø /tøŋ ɡwienø/ | toŋ /toŋ/ | tong /toŋ/ | tongʼ /toŋ/ | ពង /pɔːŋ/ |
| Horse | jio̱k tuɔ̱ruɔ̱k /dʒiɔk tuɔruɔk/ | mathiaŋ /mat̪iaŋ/ | okweeny /okweːɲ/ | aguragura /aɡuraɡura/ | aguragura /aɡuraɡura/ | faras /faras/ | សេះ /seh/ |
| House | dööl /dɔːl/ | ɣöt /ɣɔt/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | ot /ot/ | គេហ /keːh/ |
| Milk | cak /tʃak/ | ca /tʃa/ | caak /tʃaːk/ | cak /tʃak/ | cak /tʃak/ | chak /tʃak/ | ក្ឞីរ /kʰsiːr/ |
| Honey | tuaar /tuaːr/ | kiɛ̈c /kiɛtʃ/ | maar kïc /maːr kitʃ/ | moo kic /moː kitʃ/ | kic /kitʃ/ | mor kich /mor kitʃ/ | មធុ /madʰuː/ |
| Salt | milɛ /milɛ/ | awai /awai/ | — | kado /kado/ | kado /kado/ | chumbi /tʃumbi/ | អំប្យល /ʔamɓiəl/ |
| Wine | kɔaŋ /kɔaŋ/ | mɔ̈u /mɔu/ | køøŋ nyïïomøki /køːŋ ɲiːomøki/ | koŋo /koŋo/ | bwino /bwino/ | divai /divai/ | — |
| Iron | yiëëth /jiɛːt̪/ | weeth /weːt̪/ | — | nyonyo /ɲoɲo/ | nyonyo /ɲoɲo/ | nyinyo /ˈɲiɲo/ | តេក /ɗɛːk/ |
| Wheel | wil /wil/ | köl /kɔl/ | — | okot /okot/ | lawala /lawala/ | nyange /ɲaŋe/ | ចក្រ /cak/ |
| Book | bok /bɔk/ | athör /at̪ɔr/ | — | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | — |
| Eat | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | cam /tʃam/ | camo /tʃamo/ | cam /tʃam/ | chiemo /tʃiemo/ | ស៊ី /siː/ |
| Drink | math /mat̪/ | dek /dek/ | maath /maːt̪/ | matho /matʰo/ | mat /mat/ | madho /maðo/ | ផឹក /pʰɪk/ |
| Sleep | nin /nin/ | nin /niːn/ | nin /nin/ | nino /nino/ | nino /nino/ | nindo /nindo/ | ដេក /ɗeːk/ |
| One | kɛl /kɛl/ | tök /tɔk/ | acel /atʃel/ | acel /atʃɛl/ | acel /atʃɛl/ | achiel /atʃiɛl/ | ឯក /ʔaek/ |
| Two | rew /rɛw/ | rou /rou/ | aryew /arjɛw/ | aryo /arjo/ | aryo /arjo/ | ariyo /arijo/ | វ្យរ /ʋiər/ |
| Three | diɔ̱k /dijɔk/ | diak /diak/ | adak /adʌk/ | adek /adek/ | adek /adek/ | adek /adek/ | បិ /pi/ |
| Four | ŋuan /ŋwan/ | ŋuan /ŋuan/ | angween /aŋweːn/ | angwen /aŋwɛn/ | angwen /aŋwɛn/ | angʼwen /aŋwɛn/ | បួន /ɓuːən/ |
| Five | dhieec /ɟiec/ | dhiëc /ɟiɛc/ | abic /abitʃ/ | abic /aˈbitʃ/ | abic /abitʃ/ | abich /abitʃ/ | ប្រំ /pram/ |
| Hundred | kuɔ̱r /kuɔr/ | buɔt /buɔt/ | dipa /dipa/ | mia /miə/ | miya /mija/ | mia /mia/ | សត /sat/ |
| Hello | malɛ /malɛ/ | ke yïn /ke jin/ | mali /mali/ | itye nining /itje niniŋ/ | itye nining /itʲɛ niniŋ/ | misawa /misawa/ | សួស្តី /swaˈsɗiː/ |
| Thank you | lɛrnyä /lɛrɲa/ | alanyiek /alaɲiek/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | apwoyo /apwojo/ | erokamano /erokamano/ | អនុមោទនា /ʔanumoːtəna/ |
| Good | gɔaa /ɡɔaː/ | piath /piat̪/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | ber /ber/ | maber /maber/ | ល្អ /lʔɑː/ |
| Red | lual /lual/ | thith /tʰitʰ/ | kwaar /kwaːr/ | makwar /makwar/ | makwar /makwar/ | makwar /makwar/ | ក្រហម /krahom/ |
| White | bor /bor/ | ɣer /ɣer/ | tar /tar/ | tar /tar/ | tar /tar/ | rachar /ratʃar/ | ស /sɔː/ |
| Black | car /tʃar/ | col /tʃol/ | cøl /tʃøl/ | acol /atʃol/ | macol /matʃol/ | ratengʼ /ratɛŋ/ | ខ្មៅ /kmau/ |
| Green | tɔc /tɔtʃ/ | tɔ̈c /tɔtʃ/ | — | — | atworo /atworo/ | — | — |
| Blue | yiel /jiel/ | — | — | bululu /bululu/ | mabulu /mabulu/ | rambulu /rambulu/ | — |
| Ninety-nine | jiɛn bäŋuan wi̱cdɛ bäŋuan /ɟiɛn bʌŋwan wicdɛ bʌŋwan/ | thiärdhoŋuan ku dhoŋuan /t̪iard̪oŋuan ku d̪oŋuan/ | — | pyeraboŋwen wie aboŋwen /pjeraboŋwɛn wie aboŋwɛn/ | pyere abongwen wiye abongwen /pjere aboŋwɛn wije aboŋwɛn/ | piero ochiko gochiko /piero otʃiko ɡotʃiko/ | — |
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