Luo languages

 ( Languages Of Ethiopia ) 

The dozen Luo, Lwo or Lwoian languages are spoken by the Luo peoples in an area ranging from southern Sudan to western Ethiopia to southern Kenya, with Dholuo extending into northern Tanzania and Alur language into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They form one of the two branches of the Western Nilotic family, the other being the Dinka language–Nuer language. The Southern Luo varieties are mutually intelligible, and apart from ethnic identity they might be considered a single language.

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Classification The time depth of the division of the Luo languages is moderate, perhaps close to two millennia. The division within the Southern Luo language dialect cluster is considerably shallower, perhaps five to eight centuries, reflecting migrations due to the impact of the Islamization of the Sudan region.Bethwell Allan Ogot, History of the Southern Luo: Volume 1, Migration and Settlement.

The Luo languages are classified within the Glottolog database as follows:

• Lwoo
• Northern Lwoo
• Anuak language
• Belanda Bor
• Luwo–Thuri
• Jur language
• Thuri language
• Päri
• Shilluk language
• Southern Lwoo
• Acholi dialect
• Adhola–Alur–Luo
• Adhola–Luo
• Adhola dialect
• Dholuo
• Alur language
• Lango–Kumam
• Kumam dialect
• Lango (Uganda)

According to Mechthild Reh, the Northern Luo languages are classified as follows:Reh, Mechthild (1996): Anywa Language: Description and Internal Reconstructions. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe, p. 5.

• Northern
• Shilluk language
• Belanda Bor
• Bodho
• Col
• Manangeer
• Thuri language
• Jur language
• Anuak language
• Päri

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Bibliography

• Gilley, Leoma G. 2004. "The Lwoian family." Occasional Papers in the Study of Sudanese Languages, 9, 165–174.

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