Sesotho.web.za: introduction to Sesotho

✍ Scribed by J.A.K. Olivier

• Publisher: J.A.K. Olivier
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 76
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Introduction to the African language, Sesotho. Sesotho, or Southern Sotho, is part of the Sotho language subgroup within the South - Eastern group of the Ntu (Bantu) language family. Other languages in the Sotho subgroup include Setswana (also known as Tswana or Western Sotho) and Sesotho sa Leboa (also known as Northern Sotho or by the dialect name Sepedi). The language is spoken in the Kingdom of Lesotho as well as throughout the Republic of South Africa. The book includes a brief history on the language, basic phrases and grammar as well as some vocabulary.

✦ Table of Contents

1. Introduction ... 1
2. Basotho people ... 3
   2.1 Lesotho ... 3
   2.2 South Africa ... 7
3. Sesotho language variants ... 9
4. Sound Structure ... 12
5. Basic language ... 15
   5.1 Forms of greeting ... 15
   5.2 Basic phrases ... 16
6. Grammar ... 19
   6.1 Sentence construction ... 19
   6.2 Nouns and noun classes ... 22
   6.3 Pronouns ... 25
   6.4 Adjectives ... 29
   6.5 Verbs ... 31
   6.6 Adverbs ... 33
   6.7 Locatives ... 34
   6.8 Tenses ... 36
   6.9 Moods ... 40
7. Literature ... 42
   7.1 Oral literature ... 42
   7.2 Folk stories ... 42
8. Reference ... 46
   8.1 General ... 46
   8.2 Proverbs, idioms and riddles ... 47
   8.3 Computer and Internet terminology ... 52
   8.4 Sesotho names ... 58
   Bibliography ... 63
   Index ... 65

✦ Subjects

Sesotho, Sotho, African language