Editing Northern Sotho

{{Short description|Sotho-Tswana language spoken in South Africa}}
{{About|the northeastern South African language|the Lesotho and central South African language|Sotho language}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Northern Sotho
| nativename       = {{lang|nso|Sesotho sa Leboa}}
| states           = [[South Africa]]
| region           = [[Limpopo]], [[Gauteng]], [[Mpumalanga]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|6.23|2}} million
| date             = 2022 Census
| ref              = e18
| speakers2        = 9.1&nbsp;million [[L2 speakers]] (2002)<ref>Webb, Vic. 2002. "Language in South Africa: the role of language in national transformation, reconstruction and development." ''Impact: Studies in language and society,'' 14:78</ref>
| familycolor      = Niger-Congo
| fam2             = [[Atlantic–Congo languages|Atlantic–Congo]]
| fam3             = [[Volta-Congo]]
| fam4             = [[Benue–Congo languages|Benue–Congo]]
| fam5             = [[Bantoid]]
| fam6             = [[Southern Bantoid languages|Southern Bantoid]]
| fam7             = [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
| fam8             = [[Southern Bantu]]
| fam9             = [[Sotho–Tswana languages|Sotho–Tswana]]
| nation           = {{RSA}}
| agency           = [[Pan South African Language Board]]
| script           = [[Latin script|Latin]] (Northern Sotho alphabet)<br />[[Sotho Braille]]<br />[[Ditema tsa Dinoko]]
| sign             = [[Signed Northern Sotho]]
| iso1             = 
| iso2             = nso
| iso3             = nso
| guthrie          = S.32,301–304
| glotto           = pedi1238
| glottoname       = Pedi<!--name as listed at Glottolog-->
| lingua           = 99-AUT-ed
| notice           = IPA
| ethnicity        = [[Pedi people|Pedi]]
<br />[[Lobedu people|Lobedu]] <br />[[Pulana people|Pulana]] <br />[[Tlôkwa people|Tlôkwa]]
| pronunciation    = 
| map              = South Africa Northern Sotho speakers proportion map.svg
| standards        = [[Pedi language|Pedi]]
| map2             = South Africa Northern Sotho speakers density map.svg
| mapcaption       = Geographical distribution of Northern Sotho in South Africa: proportion of the population that speaks a form of Northern Sotho at home.

{{div col|colwidth=7em|content=
{{legend|#EDF8E9|0–20%}}
{{legend|#BAE4B3|20–40%}}
{{legend|#74C476|40–60%}}
{{legend|#31A354|60–80%}}
{{legend|#006D2C|80–100%}}
}}
| mapcaption2      = Geographical distribution of Northern Sotho in South Africa: density of Northern Sotho home-language speakers

{{div col|colwidth=7em|content=
{{legend|#ffffcc|&lt;1 /km²}}
{{legend|#ffeda0|1–3 /km²}}
{{legend|#fed976|3–10 /km²}}
{{legend|#feb24c|10–30 /km²}}
{{legend|#fd8d3c|30–100 /km²}}
{{legend|#fc4e2a|100–300 /km²}}
{{legend|#e31a1c|300–1000 /km²}}
{{legend|#bc0026|1000–3000 /km²}}
{{legend|#800026|&gt;3000 /km²}}
}}
| ancestor         = Tswaniac
| ancestor2        = Hurutshe
| ancestor3        = Kgatla
}}
{{Infobox NC name|||||Northern |country=|people=Bapedi|person=Mopedi|language=Sepedi|root=Pedi}}
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Edgar speaking Northern Sotho.webm|thumb|A speaker of the Northern Sotho language]]
Sepedi, also known as '''Northern Sotho''', is one of South Africa’s twelve official languages and belongs to the '''Bantu language family''', specifically the '''Sotho-Tswana group'''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NORTHERN SOTHO - South African Language Sepedi |url=https://www.sa-venues.com/language-sepedi.htm |access-date=2021-06-08 |website=www.sa-venues.com}}</ref> The language is spoken mainly in '''Limpopo Province''', and to a lesser extent in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The SA Constitution |url=https://www.justice.gov.za/constitution/chp01.html#:~:text=6.,,%20isiNdebele,%20isiXhosa%20and%20isiZulu. |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=www.justice.gov.za}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=free online course |url=https://www.unisa.ac.za/static/corporate_web/Content/UnisaOpen/freeOnlineCourse/nSotho/nSotho.html |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=www.unisa.ac.za}}</ref>''

Sepedi refers to the ''dialect'' spoken by the Pedi people. '''Northern Sotho''' is the umbrella term for a group of related dialects. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but technically '''Sepedi is one dialect of Northern Sotho'''.

As of the 2022 South African Census, approximately '''6.2 million people''' — or '''10.0%''' of the national population speak '''Sepedi''' as their first language. Sepedi ranks as the '''fifth most spoken''' first language.

== Official language status ==

=== Sepedi vs Northern Sotho ===
According to Chapter 1, Section 6 of the South African Constitution, Sepedi is one of South Africa's 12 official languages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 - Chapter 1: Founding Provisions {{!}} South African Government |url=https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/chapter-1-founding-provisions |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=www.gov.za}}</ref> There has been significant debate about whether Northern Sotho should be used instead of Pedi.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Pedi {{!}} South African History Online |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/pedi |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=www.sahistory.org.za}}</ref> The English version of the South African Constitution lists Sepedi as an official language, while the Sepedi or Northern Sotho version of the Constitution of South Africa lists Sesotho sa Leboa as an official South African language.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rakgogo |first=Tebogo J. |last2=Zungu |first2=Evangeline B. |date=2022-02-28 |title=A blatant disregard of Section 6 (1) of the Constitution of South Africa by higher education institutions and language authorities: An onomastic discrepancy |url=https://literator.org.za/index.php/literator/article/view/1814 |journal=Literator |language=en |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=9 |issn=2219-8237}}</ref>

=== South Africa's official language policy ===
South Africa's official language policy refers to the twelve official languages of South Africa (i.e., Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, English, and South African Sign Language (SASL)), as specified in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.<ref>[https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202011/43860gon1160.pdf]</ref>

==Name==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2023}}
The Northern Sotho written language was based largely on the Sepedi dialect. Missionaries studied this dialect the most closely and first developed the orthography in 1860 by [[Alexander Merensky]], Grutzner, and Gerlachshoop.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rakgogo |first1=Tebogo Jacob |last2=van Huyssteen |first2=Linda |date=2019-07-03 |title=A constitutional language name, lost in translation and its impact on the identity of the first language speakers |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/02572117.2019.1618015 |journal=South African Journal of African Languages |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=165–174 |doi=10.1080/02572117.2019.1618015 |s2cid=199161866 |issn=0257-2117}}</ref>  This subsequently provided a common writing system for 20 or more varieties of the Sotho-Tswana languages spoken in the former Transvaal, and also helped lead to "Sepedi" being used as the umbrella term for the entire language family.  However, there are objections to this synecdoche by other Northern Sotho dialect speakers, such as speakers of [[Modjadji|Modjadji's]] [[Lobedu people|Lobedu]] dialect.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}

==Other varieties of Northern Sotho==

Northern Sotho can be subdivided into [[Highveld]]-Sotho, which consists of comparatively recent immigrants mostly from the west and southwest parts of South Africa, and [[Veld|Lowveld]]-Sotho, which consists of a combination of immigrants from the north of South Africa and Sotho inhabitants of longer standing. Like other Sotho-Tswana people, their languages are named after totemic animals and, sometimes, by alternating or combining these with the names of famous chiefs.{{Original research inline|date=October 2019}}

===The Highveld-Sotho===

The group consists of the following dialects:
*[[Bapedi]] 
**Bapedi Marota (in the narrower sense)
**Marota Mamone
**Marota Mohlaletsi
**Batau Bapedi (Matlebjane, Masemola, Marishane, Batau ba Manganeng - Nkadimeng, Kgaphola, Diphofa, Nchabeleng, Mogashoa, Phaahla, Sloane, Mashegoana, Mphanama)
*Phokwane
*Bakone
**Kone (Ga-Matlala)
**Dikgale
*Baphuthi
*Baroka
*Bakgaga (Mphahlele, Maake, and Mothapo)
*Chuene
*Mathabatha
*Maserumule
*Tlou (Ga-Molepo)
*Thobejane (Ga-Mafefe)
*[[Batlokwa]] 
**Batlokwa Ba Lethebe
*Makgoba
*Batlou
*Bahananwa (Ga-Mmalebogo)
*Moremi
*Motlhatlhana
*Babirwa
*Batswapong
*Mmamabolo
*Bamongatane
*Bakwena ba Moletjie (Moloto)
*Batlhaloga
*Bahwaduba, BaGaMagale, and many others

===The Lowveld-Sotho===

The group consists of [[Lobedu people|Lobedu]], Narene, Phalaborwa (Malatji), Mogoboya, Kone, Kgaga, [[MaPulana|Pulana]], Pai, Ramafalo, Mohale and Kutswe.

==Classification==
Northern Sotho is one of the [[Sotho languages]] of the [[Bantu languages|Bantu]] family. Although Northern Sotho shares the name ''Sotho'' with [[Southern Sotho]], the two groups also have a great deal in common with their sister language Setswana.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Sepedi First Language |url=https://careertimes.co.za/past-papers-and-memos/grade-12/sepedi-first-additional-language-grade-12-past-papers-and-memos/ |website=Career Times |access-date=21 February 2020}}</ref> Northern Sotho is also closely related to [[Tswana language|Setswana]], [[sheKgalagari]] and [[Lozi language|siLozi]]. It is a standardized variety, amalgamating several distinct varieties or dialects. Northern Sotho is also spoken by the Mohlala people.

Most Khelobedu speakers only learn to speak Sepedi at school, such that Sepedi is only their second or third language. Khelobedu is a written language. Lobedu is spoken by a majority of people in the Greater Tzaneen, Greater Letaba, and BaPhalaborwa municipalities, and a minority in Greater Giyani municipality, as well as in the [[Limpopo]] Province and [[Tembisa]] township in [[Gauteng]]. Its speakers are known as the [[Balobedu]].

Sepulana ({{Transliteration|nso|italic=no|also sePulane}}) exists in unwritten form and forms part of the standard Northern Sotho. Sepulana is spoken in [[Bushbuckridge]] area by the [[MaPulana]] people.

== Writing system ==
Sepedi is written in the Latin alphabet. The letter ''[[š]]'' is used to represent the sound [{{IPA|ʃ}}] ("sh" is used in the trigraph "tsh" to represent an aspirated ''ts'' sound). The [[Circumflex|circumflex accent]] can be added to the letters e and o to distinguish their different sounds, but it is mostly used in language reference books. Some word prefixes, especially in verbs, are written separately from the stem.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pukuntšu ya polelopedi ya sekolo: Sesotho sa Leboa/ Sepedi le Seisimane: e gatišitšwe ke Oxford = Oxford bilingual school dictionary: Northern Sotho and English|date=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press Southern Africa|others=De Schryver, Gilles-Maurice.|isbn=9780195765557|location=Cape Town|pages=S24–S26|oclc=259741811}}</ref>

== Phonology ==
===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Northern Sotho vowels
|-
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA|i}}
| {{IPA|u}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
! [[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
| {{IPA|e}}
| {{IPA|o}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
! [[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| {{IPA|ɛ}}
| {{IPA|ɔ}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|a}}
|}

===Consonants===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Northern Sotho consonants
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br /> alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!<small>plain</small>
!<small>lateral</small>
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|ɲ}}
|{{IPA link|ŋ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Plosive]]
!<small>ejective</small>
|{{IPA link|pʼ}}
|{{IPA link|tʼ}}
|{{IPA link|tˡʼ}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|kʼ}}
|
|-
! <small>aspirated</small>
|{{IPA link|pʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tʰ}}
|{{IPA link|tˡʰ}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|kʰ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Affricate]]
! <small>ejective</small>
|
|{{IPA link|tsʼ}}
|
|{{IPA link|tʃʼ}}
|
|
|
|-
!<small>aspirated</small>
|
|{{IPA link|tsʰ}}
|
|{{IPA link|tʃʰ}}
|
|{{IPA link|kxʰ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|{{IPA link|f}}
|{{IPA link|s}}
|{{IPA link|ɬ}}
|{{IPA link|ʃ}}
|
|
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|h}}~{{IPA link|ɦ}}
|-
!<small>voiced</small>
|{{IPA link|β}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|ʒ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ɣ}}
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
|
|{{IPA link|r}}
|{{IPA link|ɺ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
|{{IPA link|w}}
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
|
|{{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|}

Other consonant sounds include fricative-combinations {{IPA|/pʃʼ pʃʰ fʃ βʒ/}} and {{IPA|/psʼ psʰ fs/}}.

Within nasal consonant compounds, the first nasal consonant sound is recognized as syllabic. Words such as ''nthuše'' "help me", are pronounced as {{IPA|[n̩tʰuʃe]}}. /n/ can also be pronounced as {{IPA|/ŋ/}} following a velar consonant.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Northern Sotho|last=Louwrens, Kosch, Kotzé|first=Louis J., Ingeborg M., Albert E.|publisher=München: Lincom|year=1995|pages=4–11}}</ref>

Urban varieties of Northern Sotho, such as [[Pretoria Sotho]] (actually a derivative of [[Tswana language|Tswana]]), have acquired [[click consonant|clicks]] in an ongoing process of such sounds spreading from [[Nguni languages]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://archive.ethnologue.com/15/show_country.asp?name=ZA |title = Ethnologue.com: Languages of South Africa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410220057/http://archive.ethnologue.com/15/show_country.asp?name=ZA |archive-date=10 April 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Vocabulary==
Some examples of Northern Sotho words and phrases:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
!width="210"|English
! Northern Sotho 
|-
| Welcome || Kamogelo (noun) / Amogela (verb)
|-
| Good day
|Dumela (singular) / Dumelang (plural) / Thobela and Re a lotšha (to elders)
|-
| How are you? || O kae? (singular) Le kae? (plural, also used for elders)
|-
| I am fine || Ke gona.
|-
| I am fine too, thank you || Le nna ke gona, ke a leboga.
|-
| Thank you || Ke a leboga (I thank you) / Re a leboga (we thank you)
|-
| Good luck || Mahlatse
|-
| Have a safe journey || O be le leeto le le bolokegilego
|-
| Good bye! || Šala gabotse (singular)/ Šalang gabotse (plural, also used for elders)(keep well) / Sepela gabotse(singular)/Sepelang gabotse (plural, also used for elders)(go well) 
|-
| I am looking for a job || Ke nyaka mošomô
|-
| No smoking || Ga go kgogwe (/folwe)
|- 
| No entrance || Ga go tsenwe
|-
| Beware of the steps! || Hlokomela disetepese!
|-
| Beware! || Hlokomela!
|-
| Congratulations on your birthday || Mahlatse letšatšing la gago la matswalo
|-
| Seasons greetings || Ditumedišo tša Sehla sa Maikhutšo
|- 
| Merry Christmas || Mahlogonolo a Keresemose
|-
| Merry Christmas and Happy New Year || Mahlogonolo a Keresemose le ngwaga wo moswa wo monate
|- 
| Expression    ||       Gontsha sa mafahleng 
|-
| yes || ee/eya
|-
| no || aowa
|-
| please || hle
|-
| thank you || ke a leboga
|-
| help || thušang/thušo
|-
| danger/accident || kotsi
|-
| emergency || tšhoganetšo
|-
| excuse me || ntshwarele
|-
| I am sorry || Ke maswabi
|-
| I love you || Ke a go rata
|-
| Questions / sentences || Dipotšišo / mafoko
|-
| Do you accept (money/credit cards/traveler's cheques)? || O amogela (singular) / Le
amogela ( tshelete/.../...)?
|-
| How much is this? || Ke bokae e?
|-
| I want ... || Ke nyaka...
|-
| What are you doing? || O dira eng?
|-
| What is the time? || Ke nako mang?
|-
| Where are you going? || O ya kae?
|-
|Numbers || Dinomoro
|-
| 1 || tee
|-
| 2 || pedi
|-
| 3 || tharo
|-
| 4 || nne
|-
| 5 || hlano
|-
| 6 || tshela
|-
| 7 || šupa
|-
| 8 || seswai
|-
| 9 || senyane
|-
| 10 || lesome
|-
| 11 || lesometee
|-
| 12 || lesomepedi
|-
| 13 || lesometharo
|-
| 14 || lesomenne
|-
|15 || lesomehlano
|-
|20 || masomepedi
|-
|21 || masomepedi-tee
|-
|22 || masomepedi-pedi
|-
|50 || masomehlano
|-
|100 || lekgolo
|-
|1000 || sekete
|-
| Days of the week || Matšatši a beke
|-
| Sunday || Lamorena
|-
| Monday || Mošupologo
|-
| Tuesday || Labobedi
|-
| Wednesday || Laboraro
|-
| Thursday || Labone
|-
| Friday || Labohlano
|-
|Saturday || Mokibelo
|-
| Months of the year || Dikgwedi tša ngwaga
|-
| January || Pherekgong
|-
| February || Dibokwane
|-
| March || Hlakola
|-
| April || Moranang
|-
| May || Mopitlo
|-
| June || Ngwatobosego
|-
| July || Phuphu
|-
| August || Phato
|-
| September || Lewedi
|-
| October || Diphalane
|-
| November || Dibatsela
|-
| December || Manthole 
|-
| Computers and Internet terms || Didirishwa tsa khomphutha le Inthanete 
|-
| computer || sebaledi / khomphutara
|-
| e-mail || imeile
|-
| e-mail address || aterese ya imeile
|-
| Internet || Inthanete
|-
| Internet café || khefi ya Inthanete
|-
| Website || weposaete
|-
| Website address || aterese ya weposaete
|-
| Rain || Pula 
|-
| To understand||Go kwešiša
|-
| Reed pipes||Dinaka 
|-
| Drums|| Meropa 
|-
| Horn|| Lenaka 
|-
|Colours|| Mebala
|-
|Red/orange|| Hubedu
|-
|Brown|| Tsotho
|- 
|Green|| Talamorogo
|-
|Blue|| Talalerata
|-
|Black|| Ntsho
|-
|White|| šweu
|-
|Yellow|| Serolwana
|-
|Gold|| Gauta
|-
|Grey||Pududu
|-
|Pale || Sehla or Tshehla 
|- 
|Silver || Silifere 
|}

== Sample text ==
 
'''[[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]'''<ref>{{Citation |title=Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) |date=2009-09-30 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.33831 |work=African American Studies Center |access-date=2023-09-18 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref><poem style="margin-left: 1em; font-style: italic;" lang="nso">
Temana 1
Batho ka moka ba belegwe ba lokologile le gona ba na le seriti sa go lekana le ditokelo. Ba filwe monagano le letswalo mme ba swanetše go swarana ka moya wa bana ba mpa.
 
Temana 2
Mang le mang o swanetše ke ditokelo le ditokologo ka moka tše go boletšwego ka tšona ka mo Boikanong bjo, ntle le kgethollo ya mohuta wo mongwe le wo mongwe bjalo ka morafe, mmala, bong, polelo, bodumedi, dipolitiki goba ka kgopolo, botšo go ya ka setšhaba goba maemo, diphahlo, matswalo goba maemo a mangwe le a mangwe.
 
Go feta fao, ga go kgethollo yeo e swanetšego go dirwa go ya ka maemo a dipolitiki, tokelo ya boahlodi, goba maemo a ditšhabatšhaba goba lefelo leo motho a dulago go lona, goba ke naga ye e ipušago, trasete, naga ya go se ipuše goba se sengwe le se sengwe seo se ka fokotšago maemo a go ikemela ga naga ya gabo.
</poem>

==See also==
*[[Pedi people]]
*[[Lebowa]]
*[[Sekhukhuneland]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Northern Sotho language}}
{{InterWiki|code=nso}}
*{{WALS|stn}} <!-- This code is correct. Don't change it. -->
*{{UDHR|srt}} <!-- This code is correct. Don't change it. -->
*[http://africanlanguages.com/sdp/ Online Northern Sotho – English dictionary]
*[http://africanlanguages.com/psl/ Online Northern Sotho explanatory dictionary]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071217141039/http://www.pansalb.org.za/ Pan South African Language Board]
*{{icon|Commons}} [[:Commons:Category:Audio files in Pedi|Audio files in Pedi]] at [[Wikimedia Commons]]

===Software===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070114015602/http://translate.org.za/content/view/1610/54/ Spell checker for OpenOffice.org and Mozilla], [https://web.archive.org/web/20070324112647/http://translate.org.za/content/view/17/32/ OpenOffice.org], [https://web.archive.org/web/20070210160756/http://translate.org.za/content/view/1611/54/ Mozilla Firefox web-browser], and [https://web.archive.org/web/20070324203655/http://translate.org.za/content/view/1612/54/ Mozilla Thunderbird email program] in Northern Sotho
* [http://translate.org.za/ Translate.org.za] Project to translate Free and Open Source Software into all the official languages of South Africa including Northern Sotho
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070106152530/http://translate.org.za/content/view/24/41/ Keyboard with extra Northern Sotho characters]

{{Languages of South Africa}}
{{Narrow Bantu languages (Zones N–S)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Sotho language}}
[[Category:Northern Sotho| ]]<!-- ethnic group category -->
[[Category:Sotho-Tswana languages]]<!-- language family category -->
[[Category:Languages of South Africa]]<!-- country category -->