Botswana Languages

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Botswana

Languages

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.

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

1. Afrikaans
2. Ani
3. Birwa
4. Chichewa
5. English
6. Gana
7. Gciriku
8. Gwi
9. Hai||om
10. Herero
11. ‡Hua
12. Ju|’hoansi
13. Kalanga
14. Kgalagadi
15. Khoekhoe
16. Khwedam
17. Kua
18. Kuhane
19. Kung-Ekoka
20. Lozi
21. Mbukushu
22. Nambya
23. Naro
24. Ndebele
25. Setswana
26. Shua
27. Tshuwau
28. Tswapong
29. !Xóõ
30. Yeyi
31. Zezuru
32. isiXhosa

Language Aids and Dictionaries

• Learn-Botswana's-Official-Language