Sotho, Southern

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A language of Lesotho

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Sesotho, Sisutho, Souto, Suthu, Suto

Population

1,770,000 in Lesotho (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001). Total users in all countries: 13,534,000 (as L1: 5,634,000; as L2: 7,900,000).

Language Maps

Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland

Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland: zoomed area

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Constitution, Article 3(1)).

Classification

Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Sotho-Tswana (S.33)

Dialects

None known. Northern Sotho [nso] and Tswana [tsn] are inherently intelligible but have generally been considered separate languages.

Language Development

Magazines. Newspapers. Radio programs. TV. Bible: 1878–1989.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Sotho, Southern

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Christian, traditional religion.

Also spoken in:

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South Africa

Language nameSotho, Southern

Population

3,850,000 in South Africa (2013 UNSD), increasing. L2 users: 7,900,000 in South Africa (Webb 2002).

Location

Free State province; Gauteng province: Tembisa and Kempton Park; Eastern Cape province: Senqu municipality, south of Lesotho; North-West and Mpumalanga provinces border areas.

Alternate Names

Sesotho, Sisutho, Souto, Suthu, Suto

Dialects

Taung.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1996, Constitution, Article 6(1)).

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 15%–20%. Language of secondary education.

Other Comments

Christian, traditional religion.

View other languages of South Africa

Ethnologue

Sotho, Southern

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A language of Lesotho

Also spoken in:

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