ABSTRACT
In spite of the predominant role of Arabic in the spheres mentioned above, there are well over 100 other languages spoken within the borders of the Sudan. In fact, the precise number of languages spoken is not yet known because of the difficulty of differentiating between language and dialect. The Rejaf Language Conference, which was held in April 1928, was called by the Sudan Government. It was attended by missionaries, Government officials, and others and the late Professor Westermann, then Director of the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures, was invited as linguistic adviser. The orthography chosen by the conference was that recommended by the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures. The basis of this script was and is still the Roman alphabet. Besides the Roman alphabet, attempts were also made in the early 1950s to write down some of the Southern Sudanese languages in Arabic script.
