Botswana Languages: Difference between revisions

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Botswana

Languages

Description[edit | edit source]

The official languages of Botswana are English and Tswana.

English - Inherited from colonial rule and is used for official business and most written communication.
Tswana - The language of the Tswana people—Setswana—is a country's national language, and is spoken by most of the population.

Over 20 smaller languages are also spoken. Some of the country's languages are in danger of becoming extinct. Here is a list of the languages in Botswana:

File:The distribution of the three major language families in the Kalahari Basin area.jpg

The distribution of the three major language families in the Kalahari Basin area

Word List(s)[edit | edit source]

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Language Aids and Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Learn-Botswana's-Official-Language

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

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 ==Description==
 The official languages of Botswana are '''English''' and '''Tswana'''.
 *'''English''' - Inherited from colonial rule and is used for official business and most written communication.
-*'''Tswana''' - The language of the Tswana people—'''Setswana'''—is a country's national language, and is spoken by most of the population. <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Tswana language," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tswana_language, accessed 5 April 2021.</ref>
+*'''Tswana''' - The language of the Tswana people—'''Setswana'''—is a country's national language, and is spoken by most of the population.
-:In '''Setswana''', prefixes are more important than they are in many other languages, since Setswana is a Bantu language and has noun classes denoted by these prefixes. They include:
+Over 20 smaller languages are also spoken. Some of the country's languages are in danger of becoming extinct. Here is a list of the languages in Botswana:
-::Bo, which refers to the country
+[[File:The distribution of the three major language families in the Kalahari Basin area.jpg|thumb|The distribution of the three major language families in the [[Kalahari Basin]] area]]
-::Ba, which refers to the people,
+# [[Afrikaans]]
-::Mo, which is one person, and
+# [[Khwe language|Ani]]
-::Se which is the language.
+# [[Northern Sotho language|Birwa]]
-For example, the main ethnic group of Botswana is the Tswana people, hence the name Botswana for its country. The people as a whole are Batswana, one person is a Motswana, and the language they speak is Setswana.<br><br>
+# [[Chewa language|Chichewa]]
-Over 20 smaller languages are also spoken. Some of the country's languages are in danger of becoming extinct. Here is a list of the languages in Botswana: <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Languages of Botswana," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Botswana, accessed 5 April 2021.</ref>
+# [[English language|English]]
+# [[Gǁana language|Gana]]
-{| class="wikitable"
+# [[Gciriku language|Gciriku]]
-|-
+# [[Gǀui dialect|Gwi]]
-| Afrikaans ||Haillom||Kua || Setswana
+# [[ǂAakhoe dialect|Hai||om]]
-|-
+# [[Herero language|Herero]]
-| Ani || Herero || Kuhane || Shua
+#[[ǂʼAmkoe language|‡Hua]]
-|-
+#[http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/603 Ju|’hoansi]
-| Birwa || Hua || Kung-Ekoka || Tshuwau
+#[[Kalanga language|Kalanga]]
-|-
+#[[Kgalagadi language|Kgalagadi]]
-| Chichewa || Ju'hoan || Lozi || Tswapong
+#[[Khoekhoe language|Khoekhoe]]
-|-
+#[[Khwe language|Khwedam]]
-| English || Kalanga || Mbukushu || !Xóõ
+#[[Tshwa language|Kua]]
-|-
+#[[Kuhane language|Kuhane]]
-| Gana || Kgalagadi || Nambya || Yeyi
+#[[Ekoka !Kung|Kung-Ekoka]]
-|-
+#[[Lozi language|Lozi]]
-| Gciriku || Khoekhoe || Naro || Zezuru
+#[[Mbukushu language|Mbukushu]]
-|-
+#[[Nambya language|Nambya]]
-| Gwi || Khwedam || Ndebele || isiXhosa
+#[[Naro language|Naro]]
-|}
+#[[Northern Ndebele language|Ndebele]]
+#[[Tswana language|Setswana]]
+#[[Shua language|Shua]]
+#[[Tshwa language|Tshuwau]]
+#[[Tswapong language|Tswapong]]
+#[[Taa language|!Xóõ]]
+#[[Yeyi language|Yeyi]]
+#[[Shona language|Zezuru]]
+#[[Xhosa language|isiXhosa]]
 ==Word List(s)==
-*[https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/tswana.php Useful phrases in Tswana at Omniglot]
-*[https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tswana_phrasebook Tswana phrasebook at Wikivoyage]
 ==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
-*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tswana_language#Vowels Tswana Language Vowels at Wikipedia]
-*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tswana_language#Consonants Tswana Language Consonants at Wikipedia]
-*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tswana_language#Stress Tswana Language Stress at Wikipedia]
-*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tswana_language#Tone Tswana Language Tone at Wikipedia]
 ==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
-*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tswana_language#Nouns Nouns at Wikipedia]
+*[http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-Botswana's-Official-Language Learn-Botswana's-Official-Language]
-*[https://en.glosbe.com/tn/en Dictionary Tswana - English at Glosbe]
-*[https://www.ats-group.net/dictionaries/dictionary-english-setswana.html Dictionary between Setswana (Tswana) and English Translation Online at ATS]
-*[https://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/audio/languagelessons/botswana/Bw_Setswana_Language_Lessons.pdf An Introduction to the Setswana Language at Peace Corps]
 ==Additional Resources==
-* Bogwasi, Beauty. ''Conversational Setswana : an African laguage from Botswana.'' Maun, Botswana: Beauty Bogwasi, 2012. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/904504167 WorldCat].
-* University of Botswana. ''The sound system of Setswana.'' Gaborone, Botswana: Lightbooks, 2001. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/52493188 WorldCat].
-* Wookey, Alfred John. ''Setswana-English phrasebook = Puisanyo ya sekgowa le Setswana.'' Gaborone, Botswana: Pula Press, 2000. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/70685361 WorldCat].
-* Wookey, Alfred John. ''Puisanyo ya sekgowa le Setswana : with a short introduction to grammar and a vocabulary.'' Gaberones: Botswana Book Centre, 1963. '''''Available at:''''' [https://www.worldcat.org/title/31911554 WorldCat].
 ==References==
 <br>
 [[Category: Botswana]]