Linguistic Features in South Sudan
English is essential to communication in South Sudan, serving as a lingua franca for a country with more than 60 tribal languages. According to Braj Kachru in the World Englishes article (1993), "Symposium of Linguistic Imperialism," the southern region of Sudan is "so culturally, politically and linguistically divided that no single indigenous linguistic group or even coalition of groups can realistically aspire to having their language(s) designated as the region's official language(s)" (350). Kachru states it is therefore critical for people in this area to come up with a "pragmatic linguistic compromise." English is that compromise.
South Sudanese English is derived from British English. However, the South Sudanese variation is heavily influenced by Arabic, tribal languages common in the country, and languages from surrounding nations.
South Sudanese English is derived from British English. However, the South Sudanese variation is heavily influenced by Arabic, tribal languages common in the country, and languages from surrounding nations.
Phonology
As the video to the right shows South Sudanese celebrating the announcement of their new country, interviews throughout the clip provide intriguing examples of South Sudanese English. Many languages in South Sudan, like Dinka, do not have the phoneme [f], so speakers tend to replace this sound with a [p]. Additionally, their pronunciation of [r] is rolled. This is known as an alveolar trill. At 14 seconds, the South Sudanese man being interviewed says the word "free" with the pronunciation [pri], giving an example of how English users in this country will swap an [f] for a [p], as well as roll their [r]. Prior to this moment (10 seconds), listen for what is a common cheer by women in South Sudan.
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English Phonetic Alphabet Dinka Phonetic Alphabet
-Notice the absence of the [f] phoneme in the Dinka phonetic alphabet.
-Also take note as the [r] phoneme is labeled as an alveolar trill.
-Also take note as the [r] phoneme is labeled as an alveolar trill.
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-The video to the left shows Juba one year after gaining independence. Similar to the clip above, a man being interviewed in this video looks forward to western money and investors coming to South Sudan (45 seconds).
-Take note at 67 seconds into this video when the man being interviewed begins talking. He pronounces the words "very" and "available," replacing the labiodental [v] sounds with [b]. The Dinka phonetic alphabet (see above) does not contain a [v] phoneme. Speakers of Dinka and other tribal languages in South Sudan swap this sound for a [b]. |
Pronunciation
Juba Arabic
Arabic is also a lingua franca in South Sudan. In Language Spread as a Wavelike Diffusion Process: Arabic in Southern Sudan, Mahmud Ushari writes that a "pidginized variety of Arabic is actually the most common language of wider communication in the Southern Region's different linguistic groups." To many who live in Sudan and South Sudan, the pidginized variety is known as "Juba Arabic." This is a derogatory term given to it for not sounding like the Classical Arabic of the north. Like the many non-standard varieties of English, Juba Arabic has a misguided stigmatization that somehow this language is less than the standard. This variety of Arabic has developed into a creole as the large population of speakers has put this pidgin into writing.
Sudanese Dialect
- English in Sudan and South Sudan is heavily influenced by Arabic, the national language of the North. Many people in South Sudan continue to speak Arabic to this day, even after gaining independence and making English the official language. The use of Arabic undoubtably impacts the English dialect in both countries.
-The video to the right illustrates a Sudanese variety of English, highlighting the strong Arabic influence on this dialect. -In the clip, the woman being interviewed explains her personal challenges of communicating with speakers in Sudan and South Sudan, considering how many different languages and dialects are spoken. At 40 seconds, she describes Arabic being used as a lingua franca for communicating with people from the Nuba Mountains in South Sudan. Intriguingly, she says the people of the Nuba speak a "local Arabic language." She does not call it a dialect, accent, or variety, but a "language." |
Fig 1: A map of Juba, South Sudan's capital.
FIg 2: A map of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
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Syntax
An Important Lesson in Syntax from Agar Dinka
There are nearly four million Dinka speakers. The language has five dialects: Padang, Ruweng, Rek, Agar, and Bor. The Agar dialect is the only variety thats syntax does not follow a subject-verb-object pattern. Its sentence structure is postverbal. Consider this example:
English Dinka
I want two chickens. ɣɛn awic ajiith karou.
(I want chickens two.)
The English phrase, "I want two chickens", translates to "ɣɛn awic ajiith karou" in Agar Dinka. However, a direct syntactical translation reads, "I want chickens two", illustrating how the subject-verb-object pattern of English could be challenging to learn for speakers of this variety of Dinka. It would be understandable then, if an Agar Dinka speaker might accidentally say to an English-speaking butcher, "I want chickens two."
English Dinka
I want two chickens. ɣɛn awic ajiith karou.
(I want chickens two.)
The English phrase, "I want two chickens", translates to "ɣɛn awic ajiith karou" in Agar Dinka. However, a direct syntactical translation reads, "I want chickens two", illustrating how the subject-verb-object pattern of English could be challenging to learn for speakers of this variety of Dinka. It would be understandable then, if an Agar Dinka speaker might accidentally say to an English-speaking butcher, "I want chickens two."
Languages in South Sudan
-Acholi
-Aja -Anuak -Arabic (Classical) -Arabic (Sudanese Pidgin/Juba Arabic) -Arabic (Sudanese Creole) -Avokaya -Bai -Baka -Banda -Bari -Belanda Bor -Belanda Viri -Beli -Boguru -Bongo |
-Didinga
-Dinka -Dongotono -English -Feroge -Gbaya -Homa -Indri -Jumjum -Jur Modo -Kacipo-Balesi -Kakwa -Keliko -Komo -Lango -Lokoya -Lopit -Luwo |
-Mabaan
-Ma’di -Mandari -Mangayat -Mittu -Mo’da -Morokodo -Moru -Mündü -Murle -Narim -Ndogo -Njalgulgule -Nuer -Nyamusa-Molo -Olu’bo -Otuho -Päri |
-Reel
-Shilluk -T’apo -Tennet -Thuri -Togoyo -Uduk -Yulu -Zande |