Lango language (South Sudan)

Not to be confused with Lango language (Uganda) or Didinga language.

Lango (or Langgo) is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken by an estimated 86,000 people in South Sudan.

Lango
Lango–Logire–Logir
Native to	South Sudan
Ethnicity	Lango people
Native speakers	38,000 (2007)
Language family	Nilo-Saharan? Eastern Sudanic? Kir–Abbaian? Nilotic Eastern Nilotic Ateker–Lotuko–Maa Lotuko–Maa Lotuko Lango
Language codes
ISO 639-3	Variously: lgo – Lango imt – Imotong lqr – Logir
Glottolog	lang1322

Classification

Lango is listed as a member of the Eastern Nilotic branch of Nilotic, in the Eastern Sudanic sub-grouping of Nilo-Saharan. Within Eastern Nilotic, Lango is considered an independent language group in Eastern region of South Sudan.

There has been virtually no description of the Lango language, and its relationship to other languages is unclear. Lango Ethnologue has been written by SIL which publishes both literacy and scriptural materials. In October 2023, Lango have translated Jesus' Film which was taken thereafter to London for editing. The Film was then launched on 31, March 2024 in Ikwoto at St. Bakhita's House of the Catholic Diocese of Torit.

Geographic distribution

The Lango language is spoken by the Lango people, who live in mountainous areas of Ikwoto County in Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan. According to the Ethnologue, the Lango proper (also known as Ajo ne) variety is spoken across Ikwoto County; the Logir variety is spoken in Lomohidang payam, Kidepo and Lodwara; the Worri (Imotong) variety is spoken in Imotong payam, the Okolie variety (Lorwama and Ketebo) is spoken in Losite Payam whose Headquarters is Lotome.

Grammar

Limited data is available on the Lango language, Muratori (1938) notes that Lango lexical items appear to be more similar to Lokoya than Lotuko, but that Lango appears to be phonetically and grammatically Iteso, Karamojong and other Plain Nilotics. It is likely that Lango shares many traits common to other languages in the Plain Nilotics cluster and in Eastern Nilotic more generally, such as Verb-Subject-Object word order, two morphological verb classes, masculine and feminine grammatical gender for nouns, and a highly irregular number marking system involving a range of morphemes to mark singular, singulative, and plural. In terms of phonology, Lango is likely to have the Advanced Tongue Root contrast noted for closely related languages, and a consonant inventory including plosives at four or five places of articulation, with a voicing contrast at most of these.

Phonology

Vowels

	Front		Central		Back
	+ATR	-ATR	+ATR	-ATR	+ATR	-ATR
Close	i	ɪ			u	ʊ
Mid	e	ɛ	ə		o	ɔ
Open				a

Consonants

		Bilabial	Alveolar	(Alveolo-) Palatal	Velar
Nasal		m	n	ɲ	ŋ
Plosive/ Affricate	voiceless	p	t	t͡ɕ	k
	voiced	b	d	d͡ʑ	g
Approximant			l	j	w
Flap			ɾ

Example text

In his 1938 grammar of the Lango language, Muratori includes a short fable for Lango. No direct translation is provided for the Lango story, but it is about a racing competition between a hyena and a frog.

Nebou xa Naxidwodwok

Omor nebou naxidwok ojo: “Iji anya ngatur anya.” Itarangu naxidwodwok ojo: “Nanyo, ilany iji ne ta nanyo? Ojo nebou: “Oxifo ba ne xinamita hoji xibwanyi, ngai ba irwati?” Ojo naxidwodwok “Tarixe.” Nyo xati naxidwodwok olo ni xobwo xinasi xongete, ojo no xoseng ojo: “Xibwanyi oxifo ba ne inamita xa nebou.” Bwo xinasi xongete ijimi: “Ongeda.” Nyo xati seng itixar i ta nexoi abitobito jiik mane ni fotiri xexoi. Xibwanyi berien ilong nebou naxidwodwok ojo: “I i anya ngatur anya, kwo nongole xiran.” Naxidodwok olotu jiik ni xoi, nebou oboita angati, naxidwodwok nebu angato. Ojo nabu: “Ina bo, abito, xarik, xutik.” Efoi, nagnwala ina onok bebe. Abe naxidwodwok oleo. Nebou jan oboita, ilong naxidwodwok: “Xidwodwok!” Xinasi xo xidwodwok iruk ni xatemeni xa nebou: “Kwek.” Nebou inamaxi da, ilong cebu: “Xidwodwok?” Abito xidwodwok iruk: “Kweek.” Nebou cebu ifirixi da ilong cebu ari: “Xidwodwok?” Abito xidwodwok cebu iruk ari ne xatemeni na nebou olama bebe: “Kweek.” Ixwa nebou ojojo oxirwat bane naxidwodwok. Nyo xato ngete obwararu nengwala obe ouraya tur. Ojo da, afiasa bebe, nyo xati ngete ibalangaru ni fok otoxoro naxinamita bebe, xongete aye fad.

References

• Ethnologue