Jieng
/dʒiːŋ/noun
A collective name used for the Dinka people of South Sudan and adjacent regions.
Did you know?Jieng is an endonym associated with the Dinka, meaning it is used by members of the community themselves rather than being merely an outside label.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Dinka
Jieng
“An indigenous collective name associated with Dinka-speaking communities; earlier historical forms are not securely documented.”
19th Century
Dinka
Jieng
“A name used within the Dinka cultural and linguistic world before systematic European transcription.”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
Arabic/English records
Jieng
“A transliterated form appearing in regional and colonial writing about Dinka peoples.”
20th Century
English
Jieng
“An ethnographic and political term for the Dinka, especially in scholarship concerning Sudan.”
Modern English
English
Jieng
“A proper name for the Dinka people, also used in names of Dinka cultural and political organizations.”
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