Ian Smith

Morris T. Ama

Juba Arabic English Dictionary
Kamuus ta Arabi Juba wa Ingliizi

Ian Smith

Morris T. Ama

Though not claiming to be definitive, this is a rare and important publication on Juba Arabic, sometimes known as Creole Arabic, a language spoken in the Juba region of southern Sudan, and used more widely as a tool of communication in the towns and villages of the Equatoria region, in the Bahr al Ghazal and Upper Nile regions, as well as by a considerable number of refugees originating in the area, who have left for other countries. Juba Arabic is not a standardised or uniform language – necessarily creating problems in determining the criteria for inclusion of items in the dictionary. It is therefore an important work incorporating formal research into the language.

The dictionary includes all words in current usage that are likely to be understood by persons who have lived in Juba for many years, though without necessarily having been educated in standard modern Arabic. It is divided into two sections; one providing English-Juba Arabic translations and definitions; the second section Juba Arabic-English entries. The introductory sections are stated in both languages.

African Books Collective, Oxford