Ethnologue.com home

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
16th edition

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
US$ 100.00
Add to cart

Preview print edition

Most Recent
SIL Publications
Reduced Price SIL Publications


ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES
Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Botswana > Yeyi

Yeyi

A language of Botswana

ISO 639-3: yey

Population  20,000 in Botswana (2004 R. Cook). Population total all countries: 24,000. Ethnic population: 47,000 in Botswana.
Region  North West District, Maun, Shorobe up to Mababe, Sankoyo, Daunara, Nokaneng, Gumare, Sepopo, Ikoga, Shakawe, and Seronga; Central District, Letihakane, Xumu, Rakops, Motopi. Also in Namibia.
Language map  Botswana
Alternate names   Ciyei, Koba, Kuba, Shiyeyi, Yeei, Yei
Dialects  Shirwanga. Not closely related to other languages. Lexical similarity: 47% with Luyana [lyn], 30% with Herero [her].
Classification  Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, R, Yeye (R.40)
Language use  43% who learned Yeyi from their parents said they speak Yeyi best, 57% said they speak Tswana [tsn] best. Few speak Yeyi as L2. 12% of respondents said they speak only Yeyi to their children, 9% speak Yeyi and Tswana to their children. In some villages, children speak Yeyi, including Seronga, Sepopa, Ikoga, Jau. In many villages used only by those over 40. All also use Tswana. 73% of respondents said they use Tswana well. Young people who have attended secondary school also use English.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: Age 15 to 29: 95% Tswana, 68% English; age 30 to 54: 33% Tswana, 20% English; age 55 and over: 33% Tswana, 6% English. High motivation for literacy. Dictionary.
Comments  SVO; postpositions; articles, adjectives, numerals after noun heads; relatives before or after; question word initial; 4 prefixes, one suffix; word order distinguishes subjects, objects, indirect objects; noun affixes indicate case; verb affixes mark person, number, gender; CVC; nontonal. Fishermen; hunters; peasant agriculturalists. Christian.

Also spoken in:

Namibia

Language name   Yeyi
Population  4,000 in Namibia (2006).
Region  East Caprivi strip.
Language map  Namibia, reference number 20
Alternate names  Ciyei, Koba, Kuba, Shiyeyi, Yeei, Yei
Dialects  Shirwanga.
Language use  All ages. Also use Kuhane [sbs], Mbukushu [mhw], Mashi [mho], or Lozi [loz].
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 45% in Lozi.
Comments  Christian.
 

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

HASSELBRING, Sue, author. 2000. A sociolinguistic survey of the languages of Botswana.