Sotho, Southern

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A language of Lesotho

ISO 639-3

sot

Alternate Names

Sisutho, Souto, Suthu, Suto

Autonym

Sesotho

Population

2,110,000 (2004 J. Leclerc). Total users in all countries: 13,874,520 (as L1: 5,974,520; as L2: 7,900,000).

Language Maps

Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland

South Africa: Enlarged 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 Setswana [tsn] are inherently intelligible but have generally been considered separate languages.

Language Development

Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Grammar. Bible: 1878–1989.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Sotho, Southern

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Christian, traditional religion.

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South Africa

Language nameSotho, Southern

Population Full

11,750,000 in South Africa, all users. L1 users: 3,850,000 (2013 UNSD), increasing. L2 users: 7,900,000 (Webb 2002).

Location

Eastern Cape province: Senqu municipality, south of Lesotho; Free State province; Gauteng province: Kempton and Tembisa Park; 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)). Statutory provincial language in Gauteng, East Cape, Free State, and North West provinces (2012, Use of Official Languages Act, No. 12, Section 4(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

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