Reel, or Atwot, is a Nilotic language of South Sudan that is closely related to Nuer. They call themselves Reel; Atwot is their Dinka name.

Reel
Thuɔk ë Rëël
Native toSouth Sudan
EthnicityAtwot
Native speakers
116,000 (2017)[1]
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3atu
Glottologreel1238
ELPReel

Phonology

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Consonants

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Consonants[2]
Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive Voiceless p t c k ʔ
Voiced b d ɟ ɡ
Trill r
Approximant w j

// alternates with [s], /c/ with [ç], and /p/ with [ɸ].[3] /ʔ/ becomes [ɦ] near breathy vowels.[4]

Vowels

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Vowels[5]
Front Central Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
Low a

Reid (2010) finds seven vowel phonemes, considering voice quality and vowel length as suprasegmental distinctions.[6] Vowels have two voice qualities (modal and breathy)[7] and three lengths (short, long, and overlong).[8]

Tones

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Reel has three toneshigh, low, and falling.[9]

See also

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Notes

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  1. Reel at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
  2. Reid 2010, p. 36.
  3. Reid 2010, p. 37.
  4. Reid 2010, p. 38.
  5. Reid 2010, pp. 54, 64.
  6. Reid 2010, p. 54.
  7. Reid 2010, p. 55.
  8. Reid 2010, p. 56.
  9. Reid 2010, p. 117.

References

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  • Reid, Tatiana (2010). Aspects of phonetics, phonology and morphophonology of Thok Reel (MSc thesis). University of Edinburgh. hdl:1842/5312.