The Dinka sub-tribes of the republic of South Sudan

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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How many sub-tribes do Dinka tribe really have? Well, based on my personal research, I have come up with 22 sub-tribes of Monyjang or Jieng (Dinka) for now, and there might be more down the line when more research is being done later. Here are their names below:

  1. Malual Giernyang Dinka: This sub-tribe is the biggest one when it comes to population wise among the Dinka sub-tribes of the republic of South Sudan. But I don’t truly know yet what sub-tribe of Dinka would be the least one in population wise consideration. As my suggestion, I think it would be Thany (Thony) Dinka in Bor County of Jonglei, South Sudan.
  2. Rek Dinka
  3. Twi Dinka
  4. Mareng Ngok Dinka (Abyei)
  5. Ruweng Dinka (Greater Bhar el Ghazal region)
  6. Ruweng Dinka (Greater Upper Nile region)
  7. Abiliang Dinka
  8. Luach Dinka
  9. Ager Dinka
  10. Dongjol Dinka
  11. Paweny Dinka
  12. Atar Dinka
  13. Gok Dinka (Gok Arol Kachuol)
  14. Agar (Pakam) Dinka
  15. Ciec (Kiei) Dinka
  16. Atuot (Reel) Dinka
  17. Aliab Dinka
  18. Hol Dinka
  19. Nyarweng Dinka
  20. Twi Dinka [East]
  21. Bor Dinka
  22. Thany (Thony) Dinka: This sub-tribe is always being overlooked, and it is really a different sub-tribe of Dinka but it is often being associated under Dinka Bor. According to history of a currently being known now “Bor town.” The town is really belonging to “Thany Dinka” people. The Thany (Thony) Dinka people are the true owner of Mading Ngeth Angok or in other hand people often call it as “Pan Ngeth Angok.” Word “Thony” in Dinka language is usually means a person whose life always depending on aquatics food produces like fish, hippo, crocodile, etc.  Singular “Thony” and in plural “Thany”. 

The Dinka sub-tribes classification basis on geographical/geo-politics location reasons:

  • – Greater Bhar el Ghazal Dinka, Bhar el Ghazal Dinka, Western Dinka, West Nile Dinka, etc:———— Group-A/Padang Group: (Mareng Ngok Dinka [Abyei], Ruweng Dinka [Greater Bhar el Ghazal region]) Malual Giernyang Dinka, Twi West Dinka, Rek Dinka, Agar Dinka, Gok Dinka, Atuot (Reel) Dinka, Ciec (Kiei) Dinka & Aliab Dinka.
  • – Greater Upper Nile Dinka, Upper Nile Dinka, Eastern Dinka, East Nile Dinka, etc:——-Group-A/Padang Group: (Ruweng Dinka [Greater Upper Nile region] Luach Dinka, Ager Dinka, Dongjol Dinka, Abiliang Dinka, Paweny Dinka, Atar Dinka)—-Jonglei State Dinka tribes, Southeastern Dinka, Jieng de Jonglei: Nyarweng Dinka, Twi East Dinka, Bor Dinka, Hol Dinka & Thany (Thony) Dinka.

Other Divisions of Dinka tribe based on geographical reasons:

– Northeastern Dinka

– Northwestern Dinka

– South Central Dinka

– Southeastern Dinka

– Southwestern Dinka

The grouping of the Dinka sub-tribes under the consideration of few words similarity in their Dialects:

Group-A/Padang Group

 

            The following group Dialects do shared some few common words below in Dinka language:

(Mia, Mi): Miabior, Miyak,  

– Mareng Ngok Dinka (Abyei)

– Ruweng Dinka (Greater Bhar el Ghazal region)

– Ruweng Dinka (Greater Upper Nile region)

– Luach Dinka

– Ager Dinka

– Dongjol Dinka

– Abiliang Dinka

– Paweny Dinka

– Atar Dinka

N/B: Outside looking in a little closer group in regards to Dialect related to the above “Group-A/Padang Group will be the “Group B” below.

            Group-B

 

The following group Dialects do shared some few common words below in Dinka language:

(Ŋ, K, W, A): Ŋic, Kuïn, Guii (r)/(Guir), Kii (r)/Kiir, Kuir, Wïr, Wit, Wii/Wir, Wiën, Kue (r)/Kuer, Aguii/Aguir,

– Malual Giernyang Dinka

– Twi West Dinka

– Rek Dinka

– Nyarweng Dinka

– Twi East Dinka

    

Group-C

 

The following group Dialects do shared some few common words below:

(Ny, C, Y, Dh, A): Nyic, Cuïn, Ciir, Cuir, Yuïr, Yuit, Yuiir, Yuën, Dhël, Ajuer   

– Agar Dinka

– Gok Dinka

– Atuot (Reel) Dinka

– Ciec (Kiei) Dinka

– Aliab Dinka

– Bor Dinka

– Thony Dinka

– Hol Dinka

Few answers to my critics out there

  1. To you critics who might be having un-normal mind about the past, you have to know that, anything that is not related to past is always not History. For instance, present and future things are not history. If you happen to be Mr. Present and Mr. Future advocator, you are really end-partial of history. Because I do history works, and if it is history, it has to be all about the past, not present and future. According to history ethical rules, the present and the future things are not related to past things due to past things being considered as history. Alright, let’s leave that explanation of mine and let’s Webster Dictionary explains it to you alone below:

“History according to the Webster Dictionary:”

  • “a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes
  • a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events <medieval history>.
  • a : events that form the subject matter of a history b : events of the past.”
  1. By the way, I wouldn’t blame them though, because nowadays the living generation becomes untraditional in regards to fundamental rules of life like truth telling, honesty, respect, and so forth. The only Religion nowadays is hypocrites, cheating, faking attitude or behaviors, etc.  
  2. The History and Identity of people is nonsense according to some people I had came across over the long period I have been advocating for Dinka people History and Identity. Where to go! What a misperception it is? I will take it as just an ignorant and falsification of both history and identity destructions. For what I know, there would be no any societies that can success without maintaining its history and identity. For example, Over a long period of my advocacy concerning history and identity, I have had realized that; there are people who are trying to destroy history and identity of small tribe like Thony (Thany) Dinka due to its being one of the least in Dinka tribe in population. Which is to me, a disgrace and despicable to hear that from some people who are happen to be educators. The bottom-line is, the History and Identity of people as always doesn’t rely on population wise, plus it doesn’t rely on present and future fool educators. Let me give you one example of History and Identity illiterate. I will take China, in China there is one tribe so-called “Han tribe”. Do you know the actually population of “Han” tribe in China? If you don’t know yet the population of “Han” tribe? My friend, according to Wikipedia record, “The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group, where some 91.59% [1] of the population was classified as Han Chinese (~1.2 billion). Besides the majority Han Chinese, 55 other ethnic groups are recognized in mainland China by the PRC”. Would you believe that? Where in the world would one tribe has over one billion peoples, and yet it doesn’t overlook other 55 tribes’ Histories and Identities when it comes to population. Personally, I have learned from “Han tribe of China”, it is good to respect other tribes, people identities and histories always. No matter how large your tribe population is when it compared to other tribes. Also, do you know that, the United States of America population is barely ¼ of this tribe population alone? Wonderful and mind bungling to see that. Not that only though, “Han” tribe itself has big population than whole of Africa continent population too. Imagine that. 
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