| Population |
1,070,000 in Botswana (1993 Johnstone), 70% of the population. Population total all countries 4,000,000 (1999 WA). |
| Region |
Spoken throughout the country as lingua franca, and as mother tongue primarily in the Southeast and Kgatleng districts, the eastern half of Southern and Kweneng districts, in the Serowe-Palapye and Mahalapye subdistricts of Central District, and around Maun village in Northwest District. Also spoken in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe. |
| Alternate names |
CHUANA, COANA, CUANA, SETSWANA, SECHUANA, BEETJUANS |
| Dialects |
TLAHAPING (TLAPI), ROLONG, KWENA, KGATLA, NGWATU (NGWATO), TAWANA, LETE, NGWAKETSE, TLOKWA. |
| Classification |
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Sotho-Tswana (S.30), Tswana. |
| Comments |
Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, and Tswana are largely inherently intelligible but have generally been considered separate languages. Standard Tswana uses Kgatla dialect. Used among the educated. Used more for spoken purposes than written. All ages. Vigorous use. 90% to 95% of children complete standard 7 in primary school. National language. Dictionary. Grammar. Literacy rate in first language: 80% to 90%. Officially used as language of instruction in grades 1-4 in all government primary schools. Often used for explanations through Standard 7 and first 2 years of secondary. Taught as a required subject in all secondary schools. Newspapers, magazines, radio programs, TV. Agriculturalists, pastoralists: cattle. Christian, traditional religion. Bible 1857-1993. |
| Namibia |
| Language name |
TSWANA |
| Population |
6,050 in Namibia (1991 census). |
| Dialects |
TLHARO, TLHAPING, TAWANA. |
| Comments |
Education, administration, radio broadcasting. National language. Radio programs. Pastoral: cattle, agriculturalists. Bible 1857-1993. See main entry under Botswana. |
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| South Africa |
| Language name |
TSWANA |
| Population |
2,822,000 in South Africa (1995), 7.2% of the population (1995 The Economist). |
| Alternate names |
TSIWAHA, BEETJUANS, CHUANA, COANA, CUANA, SECHUANA |
| Dialects |
TAWANA, HURUTSHE, NGWAKETSE, THLARO, KWENA, NGWATO, TLOKWA, MELETE, KGATLA, THLAPING (TLAPI), ROLONG. |
| Comments |
Close to Southern and Northern Sotho. National language. Newspapers, radio programs. Bible 1857-1993. See main entry under Botswana. |
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| Zimbabwe |
| Language name |
TSWANA |
| Population |
29,350 in Zimbabwe (1969 census). |
| Alternate names |
CHUANA, SECHUANA, COANA, CUANA, TSHWANA, BEETJUANS, CHWANA |
| Dialects |
NGWATU (MANGWATO), TLHAPING. |
| Comments |
Spoken by the Bakaka. Bible 1857-1993. See main entry under Botswana. |
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