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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Lesotho > Sotho, Southern

Sotho, Southern

A language of Lesotho

ISO 639-3: sot

Population  1,770,000 in Lesotho (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Population total all countries: 6,024,000.
Region  Also in Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland.
Language map  Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland, reference number 8
Alternate names   Sesotho, Sisutho, Souto, Suthu, Suto
Dialects  Northern Sotho, [nso] and Tswana [tsn] are inherently intelligible but have generally been considered separate languages.
Classification  Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Sotho-Tswana (S.30), Sotho, Southern
Language use  National language.
Language development  Magazines. Newspapers. Radio programs. TV. Bible: 1878–1989.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  Christian, traditional religion.

Also spoken in:

South Africa

Language name   Sotho, Southern
Population  4,240,000 in South Africa (2006), increasing.
Language map  Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland, reference number 8
Alternate names  Sesotho, Sisutho, Souto, Suthu, Suto
Dialects  Taung, Phuthi.
Language use  Official language.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 15%–20%. Language of secondary education.
Comments  Christian, traditional religion.