The Dinka alphabet contains 33 uppercase and 33 lowercase characters. The following characters make up the Dinka alphabet:
Thuɔŋjäŋ a leŋ yic Akeer kee thiädiäk ku diäk (33). Akeer dheu/cath ka thiäär ku diäk ku Akeer ë mim ka thiärou. Kït cath aa cë tek yiic ë rou: Akeer ë ɣeu ka dhorou ku Akeer ë yäu ka dhëtem. Akeer ë yäu aa loi thook e rin ye keek toom nhïïm.
Akeer Dït:
A E I O U
W Y B P M
N NH Ŋ NY R
D DH T TH L
K G Ɣ C J
Ɛ ɔ
Akeer thi:
a e i o u
w y b p m
n nh ŋ ny r
d dh t th l
k g Ɣ c j
ε ɔ
AKEER YÄU
Akeer dït:
Ä Ë Ï Ö Ɛ̈ ɔ̈
Akeer thi:
ä ë ï ö ɛ̈ ɔ̈.
Akeer dheu (aa 7) = Higher/noisy vowels
a e i o u ɛ ɔ
Akeer yäu (aa 6) = Lower/breathy vowels
ä ë ï ö ɛ̈ ɔ̈
Akeer mim (aa 20) = consonants
B C D Dh G Ɣ J K L M N Nh Ny Ŋ T Th W P R Y
AKeer mim aa nɔŋ yiic Akeer anuët ka ŋuan (4 diagraphs):
Dh, dh Nh, nh Ny, ny Th, th
Luɔi (Exercise)
- (a) Akeer dheu ye kë dï? (b) Gätë ke piny.
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- (a) Akeer yäu ye kë dï? (b) Gätë ke piny.
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- (a) Akeer mim ye kë dï? (b) Gätë ke piny.
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4. Akeer ke Thuɔŋjäŋ ebën ye kë dï? Gät akuɛ̈n den path.
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Knowing the relationships between the vowels is a key to understanding the changes that occur between Non-Breathy and Breathy vowels. The patterns are:
Non-breathy----------------------------- Breathy
e----------------------------------ä
e----------------------------------ë
i-----------------------------------ï
o----------------------------------ö
o----------------------------------u
ɔ----------------------------------ɔ̈
ɔ----------------------------------ö
ɛ----------------------------------ɛ̈
u----------------------------------u
Note: One needs be very careful with the non-breathy ‘ɔ’ and the breathy ‘ɔ̈’ since they are the most commonly mispronounced of the Dinka’s vowels. The first must be pronounced exactly as o in ‘toy’ and the second is exactly as o in ‘long’, but with breathy voice.
The following examples contrast the use of non-breathy from the breathy vowels:
Non-breathy------------------------Breathy
a -------------------------------------- ä
man her/his mother ------------------män hatred
mac fire-------------------------------mäc governing
bal lust--------------------------------bäl silliness
kat running----------------------------kät platform in field
e---------------------------------------ë
weŋ cow-------------------------------wëŋ to deceive
deŋ rain--------------------------------dëŋ rains
tem to cut------------------------------tëm harvesting
lec teeth--------------------------------lëc tooth
i-----------------------------------------ï
tiŋ to score------------------------------tïŋ to see
riŋ running------------------------------rïŋ meat
cin hand---------------------------------cïn intestines
dit bird----------------------------------dït big
tiim trees--------------------------------tïïm sneezing
o-----------------------------------------ö
thook rumors--------------------------thöök unconsciousness
dom field--------------------------------döm capturing
roor forest------------------------------röör men
ɛ------------------------------------------ɛ̈
bɛɛr be orphaned-------------------------bɛ̈ɛ̈r answered (being tall)
pεi is it sweet?----------------------------pɛ̈i months
bɛɛŋ in vain-------------------------------bɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ misbehaving
ɔ------------------------------------------ɔ̈
jɔk spirit----------------------------------jɔ̈k beginning
cɔɔr blind--------------------------------cɔ̈ɔ̈r navel
duɔt woe--------------------------------- duɔ̈t a bundle ( a group of object held together, as by tying or wrapping.
