Proposition betrothal" in English to mean an engagement. As of last year, there are three official state languages in South Sudan: English, the southern Bari dialect and Arabic. Sudan is also home to over 200 languages. The Bari language, used by over half of the population, is written in Arabic script with elements of Latin and even Semitic-like characters. But Bari writing systems aren't used anywhere else in Africa. "I don't know if other countries in the world have a language that has so many diacritics, so many special letters, and so many different shapes," says Ezekiel Ngulai, a senior lecturer in linguistics at University of Juba. With its unique writing system, the language is considered a treasure for scholars from around the world. There is little interest in the language outside of South Sudan, but many within the region see it as a way to preserve a part of their cultural identity. But with the country mired in conflict, and no state-funded institutions to preserve the culture, finding and keeping the language alive could be even harder. Many consider "betrothal" to be a romantic expression. But for many in Bari-land, "betrothal" actually means an engagement, and has very specific social and legal consequences. The betrothal tradition plays out in the most important ceremonies in a woman's life — weddings, births and funerals — and is an important subject of discussion at home and at other gatherings. With that in mind, we're going to look at two different kinds of betrothals in Bari culture: an informal betrothal, and a formal engagement. In an informal betrothal, a man and a woman have pledged to marry in the future. At that stage, the man may begin dating the woman, but there is no official obligation to marry her. "If the man and the woman do not want to marry each other, they don't. That's the basic rules. But if they agree on getting married, then the marriage is consummated by marriage rites," Ezekiel Ngulai says. If a man and woman marry in this manner, their children may not be acknowledged as members of the man's clan. "She has to be married to the man. Even if there is a legal binding contract for marriage, you have to have consummation," he explains. If they have children, those children may not be raised within the man's tribe and may face stigma and discrimination for their heritage. Meanwhile, if a couple plans to divorce, the man may pay a fee to the wife's father and then she has the right to marry the man she is divorced from. For some in Bari culture, a formal engagement involves a dowry that's equal to the bride price of a Bari woman — but only if the relationship is monogamous and consensual. The man must pay dowry to her family, and then the two families must agree to marry. She will usually wear a red dress for a formal engagement, Ngulai explains, but does not dress up the same way for other rituals. In a formal engagement, the couple will not consummate the marriage until after marriage rites — but the two families can privately make an agreement that they are going to marry. "But then when it comes to marriage rites, then she is obliged to be married to him," he says. "She is not allowed to marry another man, no matter whether she has lived with him for a month." In this scenario, she might wear a white dress for the ceremony. "The marriage will be consummated afterwards. So that means that she should have [lived] with him or is engaged to be married to him, or he has already made a promise with her," Ngulai explains. For both formal and informal betrothals, a man and a woman may not divorce after marriage. "If you have a betrothal between a man and a woman and there is marriage rites, the marriage is consummated and you are officially betrothed, it's an engagement. But if you have a consensual relationship, and the man refuses to marry the woman because of the way she dresses, then she can marry the man she lives with. But if she marries another man without getting married to the man she lives with, she will be charged with a crime," Ngulai explains. "The law in South Sudan forbids polygamy. So that means you are forbidden to marry more than one woman," he adds. It's not clear exactly what happens if a woman commits a criminal offence while betrothed, because it depends on how the law is defined in the country. But Ngulai says there is one key rule: it's forbidden. "As a woman, it's forbidden for you to be betrothed to more than one man at the same time," he says. As women across the world try to reclaim a more independent role in their communities and societies, there are still issues that remain unresolved in South Sudan. The language you use to talk about a woman's personal and legal status can't be taken for granted — she needs to be able to speak for herself and know her legal rights. And for the Bari community in South Sudan, that's already proving to be a challenge. This is part one of a three-part series. Part two airs Friday on The Sunday Edition.