Tswana

Print

A language of Botswana

ISO 639-3
tsn
Alternate Names
Beetjuans, Chuana, Coana, Cuana, Sechuana, Setswana
Population

1,070,000 in Botswana (Johnstone 1993). Population total all countries: 4,521,700.

Location

Widespread as lingua franca; Southeast and Kgatleng districts; east Southern and Kweneng districts, Central District, Serowe-Palapye and Mahalapye subdistricts; Northwest District Maun village area. Also in Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Classification
Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Sotho-Tswana (S.31)
Dialects

Kgatla, Kwena, Lete, Ngwaketse, Ngwatu (Ngwato), Rolong, Sehurutshe, Tawana, Tlahaping (Tlapi), Tlokwa. High intelligibility among Southern Sotho [sot], Northern Sotho [nso], and Tswana. Standard Tswana is based on the Sehurutshe dialect and is nearly identical to it.

Language Use

Vigorous. 150,000 L2 speakers. Used among the educated. More for spoken purposes than written. All ages.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 80%–90%. Official language of instruction grades 1–4 in all government primary schools. Taught in primary schools. Magazines. Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1857–1993.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Tswana
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

90%–95% of children complete standard 7 in primary school. Christian, traditional religion.

Also spoken in:

Expand All Collapse All