“Orthographic Reform in Dinka Language”: A Great Distortion of our Dinka Language
4 min readBy Majok Arol Dhieu, Rumbek, Lakes State
January 23, 2015 (SSB) — I was reading some articles from PaanLuel Wël website being published by various writers in South Sudan and outside. I was rather taken aback when I opened the said topic. The change in Dinka language this time must involve all Dinka people whether outside or inside the country. I didn’t know that some few individuals have already tried to reform our language without consulting others.
The books contain numerous plagiarized letters which are therefore hammered and place some upside down. If you compare those alphabets with Chinese, Russian, Amharic side by side, it is clear that the author has plagiarized from those languages and starting tooting his own horns for abbreviated piece of nothing.
What I have realized is that, these individuals who have come up with this absurd reform wanted everybody to go back to School and begin from scratch. Pronunciation itself will be difficult. We shall be pronouncing words as Chinese and Japanese who pronounce words using their noses instead of their mouths. If change be in Dinka language, it is not people on run that should sit and single-handed without consultations from other Dinkas.
Your main purpose of going abroad by then was not something connected with languages ratification or destruction but, you were going there for your safety and later get education. If you are educated enough, you may change something in your own life and leave this particular issue as concerns of all citizens to be done in conference which should be attended by representatives.
We also in South Sudan whom you have left behind during war are making sure that illiteracy is still an uphill battle after a terrible civil war with Khartoum regime and a little knowledge that we have gained is up to par. We have been on up and up, and therefore we should not be neglected when something of that important is at hands.
The reform of Dinka alphabet is as useful as chocolate in the teapot. I am particularly not happy for it. You have to try something else to fare your time. Be warned that, doing something without concerns of others had been one of the reasons South Sudanese have been on loggerhead with Northern Sudanese for a number of years.
I hope people from abroad are very alike-they’re like two peas in a pod, although I am complaining here, I am sure your comments will bear no good fruits. There is no problem; I will still make clarifications because I am always on net for twenty-four-seven.
Be inform that our success had turned the tables on our competitors and therefore don’t use something that will break our unity. I have gone through on how reformation of Dinka Language will look like and it is really ugly as sin! So, it easy for me to put two and two together. It whole meaning is to sideline other Dinka. As the saying goes “you can’t put new wine in the old bottles” we MUST not change our language.
We have seen your civilization which is making our forefathers tradition fad away. We are currently experiencing some of the issues such as wearing short aprons, practicing commercial sexes/loves, marriages on casual contracts, eating in the open market; the list is long with all forms of abominations issues.
We have been seeing it as the same war that has affected us in most cases. If we would have not opted for war, our people would have not gone far and came back with those unwanted behaviors but if we would have not arms ourselves, freedom would have not been there.
So, don’t let this give you an upper hand to change Dinka alphabets without majority concerns. NO, NO, there is zero tolerance on this. We are world apart. I need urgent explanation as to why you particularly came up with reform, so wrap your brain around it very carefully.
The author is a concern Dinka from Yirol East County and can be reach on majongaroldit@gmail.com
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