A Report on the Vitality of the Kupsapiny Language (Southern Nilotic) with a Community Profile of the Sebei Region of Uganda

This study reports on the sociolinguistic situation of Kupsapiny, the Southern Nilotic language spoken in the Sebei Region of Uganda. Even though the Sebei people are highly conservative in various respects, Kupsapiny has been losing its vitality. Primarily because the history of the people has been adverse to the maintenance of their language, it has undergone considerable changes under the influence of English, Swahili, and Masaaba (Bantu). In order to revitalize Kupsapiny, its use at schools, which is currently limited to from grade one to grade three at public schools, should be extended up through secondary education. A writing system for this language also needs to be developed.