Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Shilluk language

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Pronunciation
  
Zɔg ʃɔllɔ

Native speakers
  
(175,000 cited 1982)

Official language in
  
Shilluk Kingdom

Native to
  
South Sudan & Sudan

Official language in
  
Shilluk Kingdom

Writing system
  
Latin

Region
  
Upper Nile State & White Nile State (Ogïgg)

Ethnicity
  
Shilluk people (Cøllø) or Sudanese

Language family
  
Nilo-Saharan?: Eastern Sudanic > Nilotic > Western Nilotic > Luo > Northern > Shilluk (Chollo)

Shilluk or Dhøg Cøllø is a Nilotic language spoken by the Shilluk people of South Sudan and Sudan. It is closely related to Luo and other Nilotic peoples' languages. There are twenty nine (29) alphabetic characters in Dhøg Cøllø; ten (10) vowels and 19 consonants.

Contents

Grammar

In Dhøg Cøllø, Grammar is mostly considered important in translations of other languages into Dhøg Cøllø and among or when communicating with fluent speakers, writers, listeners, and readers. Novices always deserves more attention when communication in Dhøg Cøllø. Children are always encouraged to continue practicing their grammar (Dhøg Cøllø) skills and to be more careful when they are communication with strangers. As in many languages, grammar and words orders is very important in speeches. Example of a Simple and Complete Sentence in Dhøg Cøllø looks something like this: Men ba rëëjø. According to the words orders in part of legal and well organized speech, Men ba rëëjø simply means "This is a fish" in English. Like English or other Latin based languages and Nilotic languages, Dhøg Cøllø does follow grammar rules and words orders to construct a complete sentence like SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT in simple sentence construction. Example: Dhaanhø ba läyø thyewø. Dhaanhø (subject) + ba (verb) + läyø (objective phrase) + thyewø (adverbial phrase/degree). Dhaanhø = Human being; ba = is; läyø = animal; thyewø = too. So, the whole sentence, "Dhaanhø ba läyø thyewø means "Human being is an animal too. REMEMBER: Articles "A" AN & "THE" are less valuable in Dhøg Cøllø. The most significant thing to recall when writing, reading, speaking or listening Dhøg Cøllø is that Nouns or Noun phrases end with "ø" Singular or stand alone words end with "ø" and "ki" or "wala" is used instead of Comma "," to join a group of words, sentences, phrases, etc; "geki" is also used as a last joining word or final clause. Some time "Ka" is used in place of "ki" at the beginning of sentence as a continuation of dialogues or long paragraph to avoid a run-on-sentences and comma splice sentences in Dhøg Cøllø. WHEN TRANSLATING OTHER LANGUAGES, FOR EXAMPLE ENGLISH INTO DHØG CØLLØ, WORD PER WORD COULD BE THE ONLY COURAGEOUS MEAN TO MAKE WHAT IT MEANS IN ENGLISH BECOMES EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS IN DHØG CØLLØ.

Example:

Dhøg Cøllø: Ajagø ba jaldwøngø

English: Ajack is an elderly man.

Dhøg Cøllø: Cwøl yanø!

English: Call me!

Dhøg Cøllø: Telepönø ca ywøgg; tïng malø.

English:The Telephone is ringing; pick it up (pick up).

...

Tone, Writing and Reading Dhøg Cøllø

In Dhøg Cøllø tone does make a great difference. Reading and speaking Dhøg Cøllø is as easy as tone can forecast and as simple as knowing idiom or slang of Dhøg Cøllø, but writing is as complicated as writing other languages. For example: Like many of today’s languages, tone in Dhøg Cøllø is based on who is directing it or who the tone is being directed to. It could be high, mid-high, mid, mid-low mid-fall, fall or low or it could be a change/exchange in vowel(s) or consonant(s) or direct of indirect speech.

Example:

1. pajø meni! = this city/town!

2. pajø meni. = this city/town.

3. pajø meni? = this city/town?

4. yïnø, yanø, mia, mii, ... = You, I, mine, yours, ...

Tone is very common in Cøllø folklore, poems, songs, and other Cøllø literature sources.

Adapted Dhøg Cøllø Numerical Systems

Chollo has adapted the numerals of Arabic, such as whole numbers or integers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ... −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...etc.

01, 02, 03, 05,05, 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, ... negative numbers such as ... −3, −2, −1, ...etc.

Bugønø(0), Akyelø (1), Aryewø (2), Adägø (3), Angwenø (4), Abïjø (5)

Years: '80, 1980 (alïbø ki miyy abïngwenø ki pyärr abïdägø); '00, 2000 (alïbb aryewø); '99, 1999 (alïbø ki miyy abïngwenø ki pyärr abïngwenø ki abïngwenø); 2011 [Alïbb aryewø ki (wädhdh genø da) pyäärø wïje (wïj gønø) da akyelø], ... etc.

References

Shilluk language Wikipedia