SOT ISO 639-3
Sotho, Southern
Sesotho Autonym
A language of Lesotho
- ISO 639
- sot
- Alternate Names
- Sisutho, Souto, Suthu, Suto
- Autonym
- Sesotho
- Population
- 1,760,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f). Total users in all countries: 13,524,700 (as L1: 5,624,700; as L2: 7,900,000).
- Language Status
- 1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Constitution, Article 3(1)).
- Classification
- Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Sotho-Tswana (S.33)
- Dialects
- None known. Northern Sotho [nso] and Setswana [tsn] are inherently intelligible but have generally been considered separate languages.
- Language Development
- Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Grammar. Bible: 1878–1989.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Sotho, Southern
- Writing
- Latin script [Latn].
- Other Comments
- Christian, traditional religion.
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Botswana
Language Name
Sotho, Southern
User Population
9,300 in Botswana (2003 J. Leclerc).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Eswatini
Language Name
Sotho, Southern
User Population
5,400 in Eswatini (2019).
- Location
- Eastern Cape province: Senqu municipality, south of Lesotho; Free State province; Gauteng province: Kempton and Tembisa Park; North-West and Mpumalanga provinces border areas.
- Dialects
- Taung.
- Language Status
- 1 (National)
- Other Comments
- Christian, traditional religion. View other languages of South Africa
Language Name
Sotho, Southern
User Population
11,750,000 in South Africa, all users. L1 users: 3,850,000 in South Africa (2013 UNSD), increasing. L2 users: 7,900,000 (Webb 2002).
Map
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