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Parts of Speech

1. Noun

A noun is a word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea.

Ciöt ɛ riet mi nyooth raan, gua̱a̱th, duɔ̱ɔ̱r, kiɛ cär.

Example: The cat is sleeping.
Nuer: nyaaw te ni̱n. | Amharic: ድመቷ ተኝታለች. dimetwa tenyitalechi
Example: Happiness is important.
Nuer: tɛth lɔaac ɛ mi gɔaa ɛlɔ̱ŋ. | Amharic: ደስታ አስፈላጊ ነው. desita āsifelagī newi
Example: The school is closed.
Nuer: duel gɔ̱rä ca gäk. | Amharic: ትምህርት ቤቱ ተዘግቷል። timihiriti bētu tezegitwali.
Example: Tuut is a strong man
Nuer: Tuut ɛ wut mi bum .| Amharic: ቱት ጠንካራ ሰው ነው። tut t’enikara sew newi.
Example: Nyaluak respects her parent
Nuer: Nyɛluak luthɛ dieth kɛ| Amharic: ኒያሉክ ወላጇን ታከብራለች።። nyɛluak welajwan takebiralechi

2. Pronoun

I/we/you/he/she/it/they...

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun to avoid repetition.

Ɛn riet in cɔali̱ pronoun ɛ riet mi̱ la guäl ni̱ ciöt kɛ ɣöö /ca jɛ bi̱ lɛ nyɔk kɛ loc.

Example: She is reading a book.
Nuer: Jɛn kuɛnɛ bok| Amharic: መጽሐፍ እያነበበች ነው። mets’iḥāfi iyanebebechi newi.
Example: He respects his parent
Nuer: Jɛn luthɛ dieth kɛ .| Amharic: ወላጁን ያከብራል። welajuni yakebiral
Example: They love helping people
Nuer: kɛn nhɔakɛ luäk nath | Amharic: ሰዎችን መርዳት ይወዳሉ. sewochini meridati yiwedalu
Example: It is raining.
Nuer: jɛn dɛmɛ| Amharic: እየዘነበ ነው። iyezenebe newi.

3. Verb

A verb expresses an action or a state of being.

Ɛn verb nyoothɛ ni̱ la̱t kiɛ ta̱a̱ in tä naath thi̱n.

Example: He runs every morning.
Nuer: Jɛn riŋɛ ni ciaŋ kɛ runwaŋ . | Amharic: በየቀኑ ጠዋት ይሮጣል. beyek’enu t’ewati yirot’al
Example: I did that. Did you do this?
Nuer: Ɣän cä nɔmɔ la̱t. Kä ji̱n ci nɛmɛ la̱t? | Amharic: ያንን አደረግሁ። ይህን አደረግክ? yanini āderegihu. yihin āderegik?
Example: They are playing football.
Nuer: kɛn ŋarkɛ kɛɛ kurɛ. | Amharic: እግር ኳስ እየተጫወቱ ነው። igiri kwasi iyetech’awetu newi.
Example: She is writing the book
Nuer: Jɛn gɔ̱rɛ bok| Amharic: መጽሐፉን እየጻፈች ነው። mets’iḥāfun iyets’afechi newi.
Example: My friends and I laugh together all the time.
Nuer: Ɣän kɔnɛ mäthnikä la nɛy to̱k ɛ dɔl kɛɛl ni ciaŋ.| Amharic: እኔና ጓደኞቼ ሁል ጊዜ አብረን እንስቃለን። inēna gwadenyochē huli gīzē ābiren inisik’alen.

4. Adverb

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, often ending in -ly.

Ɛn adberb la rialɛ berb, adjɛktib, kiɛ adberb dɔ̱diɛn, ni̱ ciaaŋ la guut ɛ kɛ -ly

Example: He ran quickly.
Nuer: Cuɛ riŋ kɛ pɛ̈th . | Amharic: በፍጥነት ሮጠ. befit’ineti rot’e
Example: We are incredibly talented.
Nuer: Te kɔn kɛ ŋäc mi̱ di̱i̱t ɛlɔ̱ŋ | Amharic: እኛ በማይታመን ሁኔታ ጎበዝ ነን። inya bemayitameni hunēta gobez neni
Example: He speaks loudly.
Nuer: Jɛn la ruacɛ kɛ jɔw mi di̱i̱t. | Amharic: ጮክ ብሎ ይናገራል። ch’oki bilo yinagerali.
Example: They arrived early.
Nuer: Cukɛ cop kɛ nhiam.| Amharic: ቀድመው ደረሱ። k’edimewi deresu

5. Adjective

An adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

Ɛn adjɛktib latdɛ kiɛ riali̱ ci̱ötdä kiɛ prönaun i̱kä.

Example: The tea is very hot.
Nuer: cäy lethɛ ɛlɔ̱ŋ . | Amharic: ሻይ በጣም ሞቃት ነው. shay bet’am mok’at newi
Example: She is very tall.
Nuer: Jɛn bärɛ ɛlɔ̱ŋ . | Amharic: በጣም ረጅም ነች. bet’ami rejimi nechi
Example: We live in a beautiful house.
Nuer: ciëŋ nɛy rɛy duëël mi̱ gɔaa. | Amharic: የምንኖረው በሚያምር ቤት ውስጥ ነው። yemininorewi bemīyamiri bēti wisit’i newi
Example: He has a big house.
Nuer: Jɛn tëë kɛ duel mi diit .| Amharic: ትልቅ ቤት አለው። tilik’i bēti ālew

6. Preposition

on/at/before/into/in/with...

A preposition shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence.

Ɛn prepöthi̱cin nyothɛ maar kam ci̱ötdä(kiɛ ci̱öt) kɛnɛ ri̱e̱e̱t kɔ̱kiɛn rɛy thɛntɛnä(sentence).

Example: The book is on the table.
Nuer: Bok tëë wi̱i̱ tharbëtdä.| Amharic: መጽሐፉ ጠረጴዛው ላይ ነው. mets’iḥāfu t’erep’ēzawi layi newi.
Example: The dog ran between the trees.
Nuer: Cu jio̱k riŋ kam jiɛn .| Amharic: ውሻው በዛፎች መካከል ሮጠ. wushawi bezafochi mekakeli rot’e
Example: The cat jumped over the fence.
Nuer: Cu nyaaw rɔ yuɔr wi̱i̱ kal. | Amharic: ድመቷ በአጥሩ ላይ ዘለለ. dimetwa be’āt’iru layi zelele
Example: He sat beside her.
Nuer: Cuɛ nyuur gekädɛ. | Amharic: አጠገቧ ተቀመጠ። āt’egebwa tek’emet’e
Example: The cat is under the table.
Nuer: nyaaw tëë piny tharbëdä.| Amharic: ድመቷ ከጠረጴዛው በታች ነው. dimetwa ket’erep’ēzawi betachi newi.

7. Conjunction

and/but/because/or...

A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses.

Ɛn conjunction matdɛ rieet, rie̱e̱t, kiɛ ciööt.

Example: I like tea and coffee.
Nuer: Ɣän nhɔakä cäy kɛnɛ bun. | Amharic: ሻይ እና ቡና እወዳለሁ። shayi ina buna iwedalehu.
Example: She is smart, but she is also humble.
Nuer: Jɛn ɛ rami̱ pɛl, duŋdɛ ɣöö jɛn bä ɛ muɔ̱l muɔ̱l. | Amharic: ብልህ ነች ግን ትሁት ነች። bilihi nechi gini tihuti nechi
Example: He wanted to go, yet he stayed home.
Nuer: Cuɛ jɛ go̱r ɛn ɣöö bɛ wä, kä cuɛ ŋot dhɔɔrɛ.| Amharic: መሄድ ፈልጎ ነበር, ነገር ግን እሱ ቤት ቀረ. mehēdi feligo neberi, negeri gini isu bēti k’ere.
Example: Although the sun was shining, it was not warm.
Nuer: Kä cäŋ ni̱ mëë ci cäŋ lɛp /ke̱nɛ lëth.| Amharic: ፀሀይ ብታበራም ሞቃት አልነበረም። t͟s’ehāyi bitaberami mok’ati ālineberemi..

8. Interjection

An interjection is an abrupt remark that expresses emotion.

Ɛn interjection ɛ ruac mi̱ caa lat kɛ gua̱a̱th mi̱ tɔt mi̱ nyooth ta̱a̱ cärä ran.

Example: Wow! That is amazing!
Nuer: Wow! Nɔmɔ ɛ mi gääy naath! | Amharic: ዋው! በጣም አስደናቂ ነው! wawi! bet’ami āsidenak’ī newi!
Example: Oh no! I forgot my keys!
Nuer: Ɣɔ̱ɔ̱n /ciɛ jɛn! Ɣän cä keyni̱kä pa̱l ruëëc. | Amharic: በፍፁም! ቁልፎቼን ረሳሁ። befit͟s’umi! k’ulifochēni resahu.
Example: Hooray! We won the game!
Nuer: Ɣɔ̱ɔ̱! Cuɔ̱kɔ ŋar joc! | Amharic: ሆሬ! ጨዋታውን አሸንፈናል! horē! ch’ewatawini āshenifenal!
Example: Ouch! That hurt!
Nuer: Ɣɔ̱ɔ̱n! nɔmɔ bɛc ɛ !| Amharic: ኦህ! ያ ያማል!
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