Academic literature on the topic 'Sotho language – Written Sotho'

Scientific word identification and classification in Bantu languages with special reference to Zulu Despite the fact that Van Wyk’s word theory (1958) is the only scientifically justified word theory for Bantu languages, his work has not had the expected impact on the study of Bantu languages (especially the Nguni languages). This is partly due to the fact that his thesis was written in Afrikaans and is inaccessible to many Bantu language scholars. Secondly, this state of affairs is due to the fact that his treatise is highly theoretical and that the principles have not been applied exhaustively to Zulu or any of the other Nguni languages. Lombard et al.’s Northern Sotho grammar of 1985 is the only grammar written totally within the Van Wykian framework. The recognition of a word category “particle (word)” is probably the aspect that has had the most far-reaching consequences for a morphological and syntactical analysis of Bantu languages. The justification for distinguishing a word category “particle word” is examined in this article.

Working with corpora in the South African Bantu languages has up till now been limited to the utilisation of raw corpora. Such corpora, however, have limited functionality. Thus the next logical step in any NLP application is the development of software for automatic tagging of electronic texts. The development of a tagset is one of the first steps in corpus annotation. The authors of this article argue that the design of a tagset cannot be isolated from the purpose of the tagset, or from the place of the tagset and its design within the bigger picture of the architecture of corpus annotation. Usage-related aspects therefore feature prominently in the design of the tagset for Northern Sotho. It is explained why this proposed tagset is biased towards human readability, rather than machine readability; this choice of a stochastic tagger is motivated, and the relationship between tokenising, tagging, morphological analysis and parsing is discussed. In order to account at least to some extent for the morphological complexity of Northern Sotho at the tagging level, a multilevel annotation is opted for: the first level comprising obligatory information and the second optional and recommended information. Finally, aspects of standardisation are considered against the background of reuse, of sharing of resources, and of possible adaptation for use by other disjunctively written South African Bantu languages. It is not the aim of this article to evaluate the results of any tagging procedure using the proposed tagset. It only describes the design and motivates the choices made with regard to the tagset design. However, an evaluation is in process and results will be published in the near future (cf. Faaß et al., s.a.).

This article gives an overview of the marking of polar and constituent questions in Northern Sotho, a Bantu language of South Africa. It thereby provides a contribution to the typological investigation of sentence types in the world’s languages. As will be shown, Northern Sotho follows cross-linguistic tendencies in marking interrogative sentences: It uses intonation as main indicator in polar questions and question words as main indicator in constituent questions. Nevertheless, it also shows interesting language-specific variation, e.g. with respect to the location of raised intonation in polar questions, the presence of two pragmatically distinct question particles in polar questions, or a split in the formation of constituent questions based on the grammatical function of the questioned constituent.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the text-linguistic and genre-analytic properties of Sesotho magazine texts on society issues. In particular, the model of text construction postulated by Grabe and Kaplan (1996) is employed as general theoretical framework for the research on Sesotho magazine texts. The writing properties of effective texts dealing with the theme of society issues will be analysed, taking into account the ethnography of writing, i.e. the influence of socio-cultural beliefs and views on writing in Sesotho. The study will present an extensive invesitgation of the genre approach to writing in the context of language teaching. The rationale of the genre approach and its advantages for teaching writing are reviewed. The text-linguistic and genre-analytic properties of texts need to be incorporated in methodology for teaching writing at secondary school. The study presents an extensive analysis of the Sesotho magazine texts as regard properties such as information structuring (topic-comment, theme-theme), coherence relations, cohesion and lexical choices as a reflection of communicative purposes. The linguistic devices in Seotho that characterise these properties are examined extensively.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die tekslinguistiese en genre-analitiese kenmerke van Sesotho tydskrifartikel tekste oor sosiale vraagstukke. Die model van tekskonstruksie, soos gepostuleer deur Grabe en Kaplan (1996), word gebruik as algemene teoretiese raamwerk vir die ondersoek van Sesotho tydskrifartikels. Die skryf-kenmerke van effektiewe tekste wat verband hou met die tema van gemeenskapsvraagstukke, salontleed word met inagneming van die etnografie van skryf, d.i. die invloed van sosio-kulturele sieninge op geskrewe tekste in Sesotho. Die studie sal 'n uitgebreide ondersoek bied van die genre-benadering tot geskrewe tekste in die konteks van skryfonderrig. Die rasionaal van die genre-benadering en die voordele daarvan vir skryfonderrig word beskou. Die tekslinguistiese en genre-analitiese kenmerke van tekste moet ingesluit word in 'n metodologie vir skryfonderrig in sekondêre skool. Die studie bied 'n uitgebreide analise van die Sesotho tydskrifartikels t.o.v. eienskappe soos informasiestrukturering, koherensie, kohesie en leksikale keuses as 'n refleksie van kommunikatiewe doelstellings. Die linguistiese elemente in Sesotho wat hierdie kenmerke realiseer word ekstensief ondersoek.

Thesis (M.A.)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the adjective in Northern Sotho. The entire research indicates that adjectives form a closed system and are morphologically marked with a noun class prefix in Northern Sotho. Three semantic categories of adjectives which may be recognized are descriptive, quantitative and colour adjectives. Chapter One is the introduction of the research. The introductory sections which appear in it are purpose and aim of study, method of research, organization of the study, definitions of the concepts and derivation of adjectives. Chapter Two concentrates on the semantic adjective. Semantics deals with the study of words origins~ changes and meanings. Attributive (prenominal) adjectives tend to denote fairly permanent properties, while predicative ones denote the corresponding transient properties as in the following examples: (1) a. The shirt is loose (not buttoned) b. The loose shirt (not fitting properly) (2) a. The apparatus are handy (conveniently at hand) b. Handy apparatus (useful apparatus) Adjectives can occur in comparative and exclamatory constructions. Two types of adjectives may also differ from one another in that the one involving conversion does not take degree modifier or comparative, whereas the one not involving conversion can have either of them occurring with them: (3) a. The strong should help the weak b. The very strong should help the weak (4) a. The cup is big b. The cup is too big Chapter Three evolves on the formation and structure of adjectives in Northern Sotho. This chapter introduces a wide range of word building elements used to create the adjective structure. Emphasis is put on the adjectival prefixes, adjectival stems and adjectival suffixes which are the constituent elements of the adjective. Only the adjectival stems are reduplicable and have usually an intensified meaning. This implies that the adjectival prefixes and adjectival suffixes, in terms of their position and function, cannot be reduplicated. There are also some restrictions in the use of adjectives. The main concerns are the nature of word-formation processes and the ways in which wordformation interacts with syntax, semantics and lexicon. Chapter Four exemplifies the descriptive possessive in full. As a matter of clarification, no possessives have been discussed in this chapter. Descriptive possessives and possessives are two different aspects. In this chapter, various aspects which make up the descriptive possessives are also discussed in detail. Chapter Five deals with the nominal relative clause. The head is always the noun in all the nominal relative clauses. The matrix and the relative clauses are given under physical features, psychological features, habits, skills, taste and natural phenomena. The distribution of a relative is also indicated. Attention is based on the complement of a noun and position in a clause. Chapter Six is the concluding chapter which gives the summary of all the previous chapters.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing het as doelstelling die ondersoek van die adjektief in Noord-Sotho. Die bevindinge van die navorsing dui daarop dat adjektiewe in Noord-Sotho 'n geslote klas vorm wat morfologies gemerk word deur 'n naamwoordklasprefiks. Die drie semantiese kategorieë van adjektiewe wat in die studie erken word sluit in deskriptiewe, kwantitatiewe en kleur adjektiewe. Hoofstuk Een vorm die inleiding van die studie. Die verskillende sub-afdelings van die hoofstuk gee die doelstelling van die studie, asook 'n oorsig van die navorsingsmetode, organisasie van die studie, belangrike definisies en konsepte en behandel die afleiding van adjektiewe in Noord-Sotho. Hoofstuk Twee fokus op die semantiese adjektiewe. Semantiek hou verband met die studie van woorde se oorsprong, veranderinge en betekenisse. Attributiewe (prenominale) adjektiewe neig om redelik permanente eienskappe aan te dui, terwyl predikatiewe adjektiewe die korresponderende tydelike eienskappe aandui, soos getoon in die volgende voorbeelde in Engels: (1) a. The shirt is loose (not buttoned) b. The loose shirt (not fitting properly) (2) a. The apparatus are handy (conveniently at hand) b. Handy apparatus (useful apparatus) Adjektiewe kan in vergelykende en uitroepkonstruksies verskyn. Twee tipes adjektiewe kan ook verskil van mekaar in die opsig dat die een tipe wat verandering behels nie 'n graad bepaler of vergelykende bepaler neem nie, terwyl die ander wat nie verandering behels nie met enige van hierdie bepalers kan verskyn. Beskou die volgende voorbeelde in Engels: (3) a. The strong should help the weak b. The very strong should help the weak (4) a. The cup is big b. The cup is too big Hoofstuk Drie hou verband met die vorming en struktuur van adjektiewe in Noord- Sotho. Hierdie hoofstuk stel'n wye reekswoordbou-elementebekendwat gebruik word om qie adjektiefstruktuur te skep. Besondere aandag word gegee aan die adjektiefprefikse, adjektiefstamme en adjektiefsuffikse wat die konstituent elemente van die I adjektief is. Slegs adjektiefstamme is dupliseerbaar, en het gewoonlik 'n geïntensifeerde betekenis. Dit volg dat die adjektiefprefikse en -suffikse in terme van hulle posisie en funksie nie geredupliseer kan word nie. Daar word ook ondersoek ingestel na die beperkings ten opsigte van die gebruik van adjektiewe. Die hoofoorwegings is die aard van woordvormingsprosesseen die wyse waarop woordvorming in interaksie is met die sintaksis, semantiek en die leksikon. Hoofstuk Vier ondersoek die deskriptiewe possessief in Noord-Sotho volledig. Ter wille van duidelikheid: geen possessiewe wat letterlike semantiese besit aandui word in hierdie hoofstuk as relevant beskou nie aangesien deskriptiewe possessiewe, maar nie letterlike besitaanduidende possessiewe nie, as kategorie van semantiese adjektiewe beskou word. In hierdie hoofstuk word ook verskillende aspekte bespreek wat die semantiese adjektief karakteriseer. Hoofstuk Vyf ondersoek die nominale relatief klous. Die kern is altyd 'n naamwoord in al die nominale relatiefklouse. Die matriks- en die relatiefklouse word bespreek onder die klasse van fisiese kenmerke, sielkundige kenmerke, gewoontes, vaardighede, smake, en natuurlike verskynsels. Die verspreiding van 'n relatief word ook aangedui. Aandag word gevestig op die komplement van 'n naamwoord en posisie in die klous. Hoofstuk Ses is die samevatting van die studie waarin die belangrikste bevindings aan die orde gestel word.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the phonological process of Nasal Strengthening in Northern Sotho. It sets out to employ two phonological models to describe the phenomenon in order to determine which model presents the most credible explanation for the phenomenon. The core elements of a classical linear model, the so called SPE model of Transformational Generative (TG) phonology is described and applied to the phenomenon. It is indicated that a number of phonological rules are actually involved in the process as a whole. It is argued that the following rules are in fact involved in the generation of appropriate phonetic outputs: a strengthening rule, a homorganic nasal assimilation rule and a nasal deletion rule. The previously inexplicable /k'/ insertion rule is shown to be nothing more than part of a more general process of glottal stop strengthening. This is indeed a new view with respect to the traditional stance on "vowel strengthening." Although the majority of the sound changes may be accounted for within a TG model, the formalism of the strengthening rule itself unfortunately does not reflect any phonetic explanation for the phenomenon. A second, non-linear, phonological model, i.e. a Feature Geometry model (FG) is described and applied to the same phenomenon. It appears that although the more contemporary FG model presents innovative ideas on the structure of phonological representations and processes, it can not account for the strengthening of voiced fricatives at all. At the most this model seems to be able only to account for voiceless fricatives being strengthened to voiced obstruents. It is clear that none of the models can present a complete and credible account of Nasal Strengthening in Northern Sotho.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie focus op die proses van Nasaalversterking in Noord Sotho. Twee fonologiese modelle word gebruik in die analise van die verskynsel ten einde te bepaal welke model die mees geskik is om 'n geloofwaardige verklaring aan te bied. Die hoofelemente van 'n lineere Transformasioneel Generatiewe (TG) model word beskryf en toegepas in Noord Sotho. Daar word aangetoon dat die proses uit 'n verskeidenheid verwante prosesse bestaan en daar word geargumenteer dat die volgende reels almal 'n rol speel: "n verstekingsreel, 'n homorgane assimilasiereel en 'n nasaaldelesiereel. 'n Vorige onverklaarbare Ik.'/ invoegingsreel word geherinterpreteer as 'n glottale stop versterkingsreel wat nuwe verduidelikings bied vir die sg versterking van vokale. Alhoewel die meeste van die klankwisselinge verantwoord kan word binne 'n TG model, bied die format van die versterkingsreel ongelukkig geen fonetiese motivering vir die proses aan me. 'n Tweede model, die sg Kenmerkgeometrie (KG), is vervolgens beskryf en toegepas. Dit het heel gou geblyk dat hierdie model, ten spyte van baie innovasies, nie in staat is om die versterking van sternhebbende frikatiewe te verantwoord nie. Dit kon slegs 'n sinvolle beskrywing van die versterking van stemlose frikatiewe moontlik maak. Uit hierdie studie blyk dit dat nie een van die twee modelle wat aangewend is 'n volledige en geloofwaardige beskrywing van die verskynsel van Nasaalversterking in Noord Sotho kan aanbied nie.

Thesis (DLitt)--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation, the semantic and syntactic properties of deverbatives are analyzed in the context of Generative Lexicon theory, which is a model of lexical semantics. The aim of the analysis relates to the existence of the relationship between nominals derived directly from an event description and their inheritance of the properties of that event. The deverbal nouns in Sesotho are analyzed semantically within specific parameters taking into account the deverbal noun as a whole. This is done by viewing how word meaning interact with a set of generative mechanisms to account for the creative use of language. These mechanisms involve the levels of representations (i.e. argument, event and qualia structures) which provides information about the number and type of arguments; the event type of a lexical item and how these events are tied together within different relations. There are correlations between lexically encoded base forms and morphological derived forms. These correlations provide a need for a representational structure to distinguish between stage-level and individual-level nominals. Focusing on the role of events in the semantics of nouns, it is shown that stage-level and individual-level nouns differ in the type and the quantification of their defining event. This led to the adoption of the view that that nominals in general should be named after the events they each fulfil.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif word die semantiese en sintaktiese eienskappe van deverbatiewe in Sesotho ontleed binne die raamwerk van Generatiewe Leksikonteorie, ‘n model van leksikale semantiek. Die doel van die analise hou verband met die verhouding tussen nominale direk afgelei vanaf ‘n gebeurtenis (‘event’) beskrywing en die oorerwing van die eienskappe van daardie gebeurtenis (‘event’). Die Sesotho deverbatiewe word semanties ontleed binne spesifieke parameters met inagneming van die semantiese eienskappe van die deverbatief as geheel. Dit word gedoen deur ‘n ondersoek te doen na hoe woordbetekenis in interaksie is met ‘n stel generatiewe meganismes om ‘n verklaring te bied vir die kreatiewe gebruik van taal. Hierdie meganismes betrek die vlakke van representasie (nl. argumentstruktuur, gebeurtenis (‘event’) struktuur en qualia-struktuur) wat inligting voorsien omtrent die getal en tipes argumente (dit is, uitdrukkings wat tematiese rolle het), die gebeurtenis (‘event’) tipe van ‘n leksikale item, en hoe hierdie gebeurtenisse (‘events’) saamhang binne verskillende verbande. Daar is korrelasies tussen leksikaal ge-enkodeerde basisvorme en morfologiesafgeleide vorms. Hierdie ko-relasies bied ‘n behoefte vir ‘n verteenwoordigende struktuur om te onderskei tussen fase-vlak (‘stage-level’) en individuele-vlak nominale. Daar word aangetoon, met fokus op die gebeurtenisse (‘events’) in die semantiek van naamwoorde, dat fase-vlak en individuele-vlak verskil in die tipe en die kwantifisering van hulle definieerbare gebeurtenis. Dit lei tot die aanvaarding van die siening dat nominale in die algemeen benoem moet word na die gebeurtenisse waaraan elk voldoen.

This thesis examines the argument structures of applicative and causative verbs in Sesotho, and proposes conditions which they must comply with. It is argued that the two conditions in question are in fact general conditions on argument structure rather than restrictions specific to the individual suffixes. The first, the Thematic Hierarchy Condition, which accounts for the unacceptability of unaccusative verbs and experiencer verbs with a Benefactive argument, follows from a universal tendency to have the highest thematic role as the external argument. The second, the Internal Argument Principle, which accounts for the unacceptability of the applicative and causative suffixes with verbs that take two obligatory internal arguments, follows from the fact that basic verbs across languages take no more than two internal arguments. It is argued that this second principle does not follow from Case Theory or Theta Theory.
This thesis also demonstrates that the distinction between structural and inherent Case plays an important role in morphology. It accounts for certain differences between causatives and applicatives, including the unacceptability of causative verbs with an S$ sp prime$ complement and the order in which the applicative and causative suffixes appear.

Thesis (M. A. (Translation and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016
This study reveals that language dynamisms affect the compilation of Northern Sotho – English bilingual dictionaries. In this regard, the study shows that the role of translation equivalence cannot be taken for granted. To fully grasp what translation equivalence entails, the study compared formal equivalence with dynamic equivalence. Although there are merits in adopting foreign terms and concepts, the study investigates the problem lexicographers and terminologists of English–Northern Sotho or Northern Sotho–English bilingual dictionaries encounter and suggests possible solutions. Different strategies and procedures for dealing with non-equivalence between the source and target languages are also discussed. Lastly, the study recommends that language dynamism is inevitable if Northern Sotho is to thrive as one of the functional languages in the world. The consequences of shunning dynamism are dire as this might lead to language death.

South Africa is a multi-lingual country with a population of about 40.5 million people. South Africa has more official languages at a national level than any other country in the world. Over and above English and Afrikaans, the eleven official languages include the indigenous languages: Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Ndebele, Tsonga, and Venda (Pretorius & Bosch, 2003). Figure 1 depicts the breakdown of the South African official languages as mother tongues for South African citizens. Although English ranks fifth (9%) as a mother tongue, there is a tendency among national leaders, politicians, business people, and officials to use English more frequently than any of the other languages. In a national survey on language use and language interaction conducted by the Pan South African Language Board (Language Use and Board Interaction in South Africa, 2000), only 22% of the respondents indicated that they fully understand speeches and statements made in English, while 19% indicated that they seldom understand information conveyed in English. The rate of electrification in South African is 66.1%. The total number of people with access to electricity is 28.3 million, and the total number of people without access to electricity is 14.5 million (International Energy Agency, 2002). Although the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is narrowing, a significant portion of the South African population is still without the basic amenities of life. This unique environment sets the tone for a creative research agenda for HCI researchers and practitioners in South Africa.