Northern Sotho language
Northern Sotho, also known by its native name Sesotho sa Leboa, is a Sotho-Tswana language group spoken in the northeastern provinces of South Africa. It is commonly referred to in its standardized form[4] as Pedi or Sepedi and holds the status of an official language in South Africa.[5] This language group includes dialects like Sepedi (Serota), KheLebedu, Setlokwa, Sekone, GaDikgale, and GaMatlala.[6]
| Northern Sotho | |
|---|---|
| Pedi | |
| Sesotho sa Lebowa | |
| Native to | South Africa |
| Region | Gauteng, Limpopo, parts of Mpumalanga |
| Ethnicity | Pedi
Lobedu Pulana Tlôkwa |
Native speakers | 4.7 million (2011 census)[1] 9.1 million L2 speakers (2002)[2] |
Early forms | Tswaniac
|
Standard forms | Pedi |
| Latin (Northern Sotho alphabet) Sotho Braille Ditema tsa Dinoko | |
| Signed Northern Sotho | |
| Official status | |
Official language in |  South Africa |
| Regulated by | Pan South African Language Board |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | nso |
| ISO 639-3 | nso |
| Glottolog | pedi1238 Pedi |
S.32,301–304[3] | |
| Linguasphere | 99-AUT-ed |
 Geographical distribution of Northern Sotho in South Africa: proportion of the population that speaks a form of Northern Sotho at home.
0–20%
20–40%
40–60%
60–80%
80–100% | |
 Geographical distribution of Northern Sotho in South Africa: density of Northern Sotho home-language speakers.
<1 /km²
1–3 /km²
3–10 /km²
10–30 /km²
30–100 /km²
100–300 /km²
300–1000 /km²
1000–3000 /km²
>3000 /km² | |
| Sotho | |
|---|---|
| Person | Mosotho wa Lebowa |
| People | Basotho ba Lebowa |
| Language | Sesotho sa Lebowa |
According to the South African National Census of 2011, it is the first language of over 4.6 million (9.1%) people, making it the 5th most spoken language in South Africa. The Sepedi language is spoken most commonly in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Limpopo provinces.[7]
Official Language Status
Sepedi vs Northern Sotho
According to Chapter 1, Section 6 of the South African Constitution, Sepedi is one of South Africa's 12 official languages.[8] There has been significant debate about whether Northern Sotho should be used instead of Pedi.[9] The English version of the South African Constitution lists Sepedi as an official language, while the Sepedi or Northern Sotho version of the Constitution of South Africa lists Sesotho sa Lebowa as an official South African language.[10]
South Africa's Official Language Policy
South Africa's English Language policy refers to the eleven official languages of South Africa as
specified in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa:
(i.e., Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, and English).
Name
The Northern Sotho written language was based largely on the Sepedi dialect. Missionaries studied this dialect the most closely and first developed the orthography in 1860 by Alexander Merensky, Grutzner, and Gerlachshoop.[11] This subsequently provided a common writing system for 20 or more varieties of the Sotho-Tswana languages spoken in the former Transvaal, and also helped lead to "Sepedi" being used as the umbrella term for the entire language family. However, there are objections to this synecdoche by other Northern Sotho dialect speakers, such as speakers of Modjadji's Lobedu dialect.
Other varieties of Northern Sotho
Northern Sotho can be subdivided into Highveld-Sotho, which consists of comparatively recent immigrants mostly from the west and southwest parts of South Africa, and Lowveld-Sotho, which consists of a combination of immigrants from the north of South Africa and Sotho inhabitants of longer standing. Like other Sotho-Tswana people, their languages are named after totemic animals and, sometimes, by alternating or combining these with the names of famous chiefs.
The Highveld-Sotho
The group consists of the following dialects:
- Bapedi
- Bapedi Marota (in the narrower sense)
- Marota Mamone
- Marota Mohlaletsi
- Batau Bapedi (Matlebjane, Masemola, Marishane, Batau ba Manganeng - Nkadimeng Kgaphola, Nchabeleng, Mogashoa, Phaahla, Sloane, Mashegoana, Mphanama)
- Phokwane
- Bakone
- Kone (Ga-Matlala)
- Dikgale
- Baphuthi
- Baroka
- Bakgaga (Mphahlele, Maake, and Mothapo)
- Chuene
- Mathabatha
- Maserumule
- Tlou (Ga-Molepo)
- Thobejane (Ga-Mafefe)
- Batlokwa,
- Batlokwa Ba Lethebe
- Makgoba
- Batlou
- Bahananwa (Ga-Mmalebogo)
- Moremi
- Motlhatlhana
- Babirwa
- Mmamabolo
- Bamongatane
- Bakwena ba Moletjie (Moloto)
- Batlhaloga
- Bamohlala/ Ba Ga Mohlala, Banareng, Bahwaduba, BaGaMagale, and many others
Classification
Northern Sotho is one of the Sotho languages of the Bantu family. Although Northern Sotho shares the name Sotho with Southern Sotho, the two groups have less in common with each other than they do with Setswana.[12] Northern Sotho is also closely related to Setswana, sheKgalagari and siLozi. It is a standardized dialect, amalgamating several distinct varieties or dialects. Northern Sotho is also spoken by the Mohlala people.
Most Khelobedu speakers only learn to speak Sepedi at school, such that Sepedi is only their second or third language. Khelobedu is a written language. Lobedu is spoken by a majority of people in the Greater Tzaneen, Greater Letaba, and BaPhalaborwa municipalities, and a minority in Greater Giyani municipality, as well as in the Limpopo Province and Tembisa township in Gauteng. Its speakers are known as the Balobedu.
Sepulana (also sePulane) exists in unwritten form and forms part of the standard Northern Sotho. Sepulana is spoken in Bushbuckridge area by the MaPulana people.
Writing system
Sepedi is written in the Latin alphabet. The letter š is used to represent the sound [ʃ] ("sh" is used in the trigraph "tsh" to represent an aspirated ts sound). The circumflex accent can be added to the letters e and o to distinguish their different sounds, but it is mostly used in language reference books. Some word prefixes, especially in verbs, are written separately from the stem.[13]
Phonology
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Post- alveolar |
Velar | Glottal | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plain | prepalatal | alveolar | plain | lateral | |||||
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |||||
| Plosive | ejective | pʼ | pʃʼ | psʼ | tʼ | tˡʼ | kʼ | ||
| aspirated | pʰ | pʃʰ | psʰ | tʰ | tˡʰ | kʰ | |||
| Affricate | ejective | tsʼ | tʃʼ | ||||||
| aspirated | tsʰ | tʃʰ | kxʰ | ||||||
| Fricative | voiceless | f | fʃ | fs | s | ɬ | ʃ | h~ɦ | |
| voiced | β | βʒ | ʒ | ɣ | |||||
| Rhotic | r | ɺ | |||||||
| Approximant | w | l | j | ||||||
Within nasal consonant compounds, the first nasal consonant sound is recognized as syllabic. Words such as nthuše "help me", are pronounced as [n̩tʰuʃe]. /n/ can also be pronounced as /ŋ/ following a velar consonant.[14]
Urban varieties of Northern Sotho, such as Pretoria Sotho (actually a derivative of Tswana), have acquired clicks in an ongoing process of such sounds spreading from Nguni languages.[15]
Vocabulary
Some examples of Sepedi words and phrases:
| English | Sepedi |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Kamogelo (noun) / Amogela (verb) |
| Good day | Dumela (singular) / Dumelang (plural) / Thobela and Re a lotšha (to elders) |
| How are you? | O kae? (singular) Le kae? (plural, also used for elders) |
| I am fine | Ke gona. |
| I am fine too, thank you | Le nna ke gona, ke a leboga. |
| Thank you | Ke a leboga (I thank you) / Re a leboga (we thank you) |
| Good luck | Mahlatse |
| Have a safe journey | O be le leeto le le bolokegilego |
| Good bye! | Šala gabotse (singular)/ Šalang gabotse (plural, also used for elders)(keep well) / Sepela gabotse(singular)/Sepelang gabotse (plural, also used for elders)(go well) |
| I am looking for a job | Ke nyaka mošomô |
| No smoking | Ga go kgogwe (/folwe) |
| No entrance | Ga go tsenwe |
| Beware of the steps! | Hlokomela disetepese! |
| Beware! | Hlokomela! |
| Congratulations on your birthday | Mahlatse letšatšing la gago la matswalo |
| Seasons greetings | Ditumedišo tša Sehla sa Maikhutšo |
| Merry Christmas | Mahlogonolo a Keresemose |
| Merry Christmas and Happy New Year | Mahlogonolo a Keresemose le ngwaga wo moswa wo monate |
| Expression | Gontsha sa mafahleng |
| yes | ee/eya |
| no | aowa |
| please | hle |
| thank you | ke a leboga |
| help | thušang/thušo |
| danger | kotsi |
| emergency | tšhoganetšo |
| excuse me | ntshwarele |
| I am sorry | Ke maswabi |
| I love you | Ke a go rata |
| Questions / sentences | Dipotšišo / mafoko |
| Do you accept (money/credit cards/traveler's cheques)? | O amogela (singular) / Le
amogela ( tshelete/.../...)? |
| How much is this? | Ke bokae e? |
| I want ... | Ke nyaka... |
| What are you doing? | O dira eng? |
| What is the time? | Ke nako mang? |
| Where are you going? | O ya kae? |
| Numbers | Dinomoro |
| 1 | tee |
| 2 | pedi |
| 3 | tharo |
| 4 | nne |
| 5 | hlano |
| 6 | tshela |
| 7 | šupa |
| 8 | seswai |
| 9 | senyane |
| 10 | lesome |
| 11 | lesometee |
| 12 | lesomepedi |
| 13 | lesometharo |
| 14 | lesomenne |
| 15 | lesomehlano |
| 20 | masomepedi |
| 21 | masomepedi-tee |
| 22 | masomepedi-pedi |
| 50 | masomehlano |
| 100 | lekgolo |
| 1000 | sekete |
| Days of the week | Matšatši a beke |
| Sunday | Lamorena |
| Monday | Mošupologo |
| Tuesday | Labobedi |
| Wednesday | Laboraro |
| Thursday | Labone |
| Friday | Labohlano |
| Saturday | Mokibelo |
| Months of the year | Dikgwedi tša ngwaga |
| January | Pherekgong |
| February | Dibokwane |
| March | Tlhakola |
| April | Moranang |
| May | Mopitlo |
| June | Ngwatobosego |
| July | Phuphu |
| August | Phato |
| September | Lewedi |
| October | Diphalane |
| November | Dibatsela |
| December | Manthole |
| Computers and Internet terms | Didirishwa tsa khomphutha le Inthanete |
| computer | sebaledi / khomphutara |
| imeile | |
| e-mail address | aterese ya imeile |
| Internet | Inthanete |
| Internet café | khefi ya Inthanete |
| website | weposaete |
| website address | aterese ya weposaete |
| Rain | Pula |
| To understand | Go kwešiša |
| Reed Pipes | Dinaka |
| Drums | Meropa |
| Horn | Lenaka |
| Colours | Mebala |
| Red/Orange | Hubedu |
| Brown | Tsotho |
| Green | Talamorogo |
| Blue | Talalerata |
| Black | Ntsho |
| White | šweu |
| Yellow | Serolwana |
| Gold | Gauta |
| Grey | Pududu |
| Pale | Sehla or Tshehla |
| Silver | Silifere |
Sample text
Universal Declaration of Human Rights[16]
Temana 1
Batho ka moka ba belegwe ba lokologile le gona ba na le seriti sa go lekana le ditokelo. Ba filwe monagano le letswalo mme ba swanetše go swarana ka moya wa bana ba mpa.
Temana 2
Mang le mang o swanetše ke ditokelo le ditokologo ka moka tše go boletšwego ka tšona ka mo Boikanong bjo, ntle le kgethollo ya mohuta wo mongwe le wo mongwe bjalo ka morafe, mmala, bong, polelo, bodumedi, dipolitiki goba ka kgopolo, botšo go ya ka setšhaba goba maemo, diphahlo, matswalo goba maemo a mangwe le a mangwe.
Go feta fao, ga go kgethollo yeo e swanetšego go dirwa go ya ka maemo a dipolitiki, tokelo ya boahlodi, goba maemo a ditšhabatšhaba goba lefelo leo motho a dulago go lona, goba ke naga ye e ipušago, trasete, naga ya go se ipuše goba se sengwe le se sengwe seo se ka fokotšago maemo a go ikemela ga naga ya gabo.
See also
Notes
- Northern Sotho at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- Webb, Vic. 2002. "Language in South Africa: the role of language in national transformation, reconstruction and development." Impact: Studies in language and society, 14:78
- Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- "PanSALB". www.pansalb.org. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- "The SA Constitution". www.justice.gov.za. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- "free online course". www.unisa.ac.za. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- "SEPEDI - South African Language Sepedi". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- "Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 - Chapter 1: Founding Provisions | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- "Pedi | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- Rakgogo, Tebogo J.; Zungu, Evangeline B. (28 February 2022). "A blatant disregard of Section 6 (1) of the Constitution of South Africa by higher education institutions and language authorities: An onomastic discrepancy". Literator. 43 (1): 9. ISSN 2219-8237.
- Rakgogo, Tebogo Jacob; van Huyssteen, Linda (3 July 2019). "A constitutional language name, lost in translation and its impact on the identity of the first language speakers". South African Journal of African Languages. 39 (2): 165–174. doi:10.1080/02572117.2019.1618015. ISSN 0257-2117. S2CID 199161866.
- "Sepedi First Language". Career Times. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- Pukuntšu ya polelopedi ya sekolo: Sesotho sa Leboa/ Sepedi le Seisimane: e gatišitšwe ke Oxford = Oxford bilingual school dictionary: Northern Sotho and English. De Schryver, Gilles-Maurice. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa. 2007. pp. S24–S26. ISBN 9780195765557. OCLC 259741811.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - Louwrens, Kosch, Kotzé, Louis J., Ingeborg M., Albert E. (1995). Northern Sotho. München: Lincom. pp. 4–11.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - "Ethnologue.com: Languages of South Africa". Archived from the original on 10 April 2017.
- "Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)", African American Studies Center, Oxford University Press, 30 September 2009, retrieved 18 September 2023
External links
- Dryer, Matthew S.; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Northern Sotho language". World Atlas of Language Structures Online. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Northern Sotho language
- Online Northern Sotho – English dictionary
- Online Northern Sotho explanatory dictionary
- Pan South African Language Board
- Audio files in Pedi at Wikimedia Commons
Software
- Spell checker for OpenOffice.org and Mozilla, OpenOffice.org, Mozilla Firefox web-browser, and Mozilla Thunderbird email program in Northern Sotho
- Translate.org.za Project to translate Free and Open Source Software into all the official languages of South Africa including Northern Sotho
- Keyboard with extra Northern Sotho characters