Sesotho
Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana)
Sesotho (Southern Sotho, also spelled Sotho) is the national language of Lesotho and one of South Africa's 11 official languages, with ~14M speakers in Lesotho, South Africa (Free State, Gauteng), and adjacent areas. Part of the Sotho-Tswana subgroup of Bantu (with Northern Sotho/Pedi and Tswana), characterized by lateral fricatives /ɬ ɮ/ (written hl, dl). Distinctive among Bantu for using click consonants in some words borrowed from neighboring Khoisan languages and Nguni languages (q-clicks). Has a 17–18 noun-class system with extensive concord. Major literary tradition: Thomas Mofolo's Chaka (1925) was an early African-language novel.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Sesotho
Water
metsi
/metsi/
Fire
mollo
/molːo/
Sun
letsatsi
/letsatsi/
Moon
khoeli
/kʰwɛːli/
Mother
mmè
/mːɛ/
Father
ntate
/ntate/
Eat
ho ja
/ho dʒa/
Drink
ho noa
/ho noa/
Love
lerato
/leɾato/
Heart
pelo
/pelo/
Tree
sefate
/sefate/
House
ntlo
/ntɬo/
Dog
ntja
/ntʃa/
Cat
katse
/katse/
Hand
letsoho
/letsoho/
Eye
leihlo
/leiɬo/
Hello
dumela
/dumɛla/
Thank you
kea leboha
/kea leboha/
One
nngwe
/ŋːwe/
Good
monate
/monate/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Atlantic-Congo (Bantu, Sotho-Tswana) languages
| Meaning | Sesotho | Northern Sotho | Tswana | Lozi | Tsonga | Manyika | Luvale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | metsi /metsi/ | meetse /meːtse/ | metsi /metsi/ | mezi /mezi/ | mati /mati/ | mvura /mvuɾa/ | meya /meja/ |
| Fire | mollo /molːo/ | mollo /molːo/ | molelo /moleːlo/ | mulilo /mulilo/ | ndzilo /ndzilo/ | moto /moto/ | kakahya /kakahja/ |
| Sun | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | letšatši /letʃatʃi/ | letsatsi /letsatsi/ | lizazi /lizazi/ | dyambu /dʒambu/ | zuva /zuva/ | likumbi /likumbi/ |
| Moon | khoeli /kʰwɛːli/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | ngwedi /ŋwedi/ | kweli /kweli/ | n'weti /ŋweti/ | mwedzi /mwedzi/ | kakweji /kakwedʒi/ |
| Mother | mmè /mːɛ/ | mma /mːa/ | mmê /mːɛ/ | ma /ma/ | manana /manana/ | amai /amai/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | ntate /ntate/ | tate /tate/ | rrê /rːɛ/ | ndate /ndate/ | tatana /tatana/ | baba /baba/ | tata /tata/ |
| Eat | ho ja /ho dʒa/ | go ja /ɡodʒa/ | ja /dʒa/ | kuca /kut͡sa/ | ku dya /ku dʒa/ | kudya /kudʒa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ |
| Drink | ho noa /ho noa/ | go nwa /ɡonwa/ | nwa /nwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ | ku nwa /ku nwa/ | kumwa /kumwa/ | kunwa /kunwa/ |
| Love | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lerato /leɾato/ | lilato /lilato/ | rirhandzu /riɾandzu/ | rudo /ɾudo/ | zangi /zaŋɡi/ |
| Heart | pelo /pelo/ | pelo /pelo/ | pelo /peːlo/ | pilu /pilu/ | mbilu /mbilu/ | mwoyo /mwojo/ | mutima /mutima/ |
| Tree | sefate /sefate/ | sehlare /seɬare/ | setlhare /setɬʰaɾe/ | kota /kota/ | nsinya /nsiɲa/ | muti /muti/ | mutondo /mutondo/ |
| House | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ntlo /ntɬo/ | ndu /ndu/ | yindlu /jindɮu/ | mhatso /mhatso/ | zuvo /zuvo/ |
| Dog | ntja /ntʃa/ | mpša /mpʃa/ | ntša /ntʃa/ | nja /ndʒa/ | mbyana /mbjana/ | mbwa /mbwa/ | kawa /kawa/ |
| Cat | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | katse /katse/ | kaze /kaze/ | mangoyi /maŋɡoji/ | katsi /katsi/ | katako /katako/ |
| Hand | letsoho /letsoho/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | seatla /seatɬa/ | lizoho /lizoho/ | voko /voko/ | ruoko /ɾwoko/ | livoko /livoko/ |
| Eye | leihlo /leiɬo/ | leihlo /leiɬo/ | leitlho /leitɬʰo/ | liito /liːto/ | tihlo /tiɬo/ | ziso /ziso/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hello | dumela /dumɛla/ | dumela /dumɛla/ | dumela /dumeːla/ | eni sha /ɛni ʃa/ | avuxeni /avuʃeni/ | makadii /makadiː/ | mwane /mwane/ |
| Thank you | kea leboha /kea leboha/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | ke a leboga /ke a leboɣa/ | nitumezi /nitumezi/ | inkomu /iŋkomu/ | mazviita /mazviita/ | nasakwilila /nasakwilila/ |
| One | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | tee /teː/ | nngwe /ŋːwe/ | nyinwi /ɲiŋʷi/ | rin'we /riŋwe/ | rimwe /ɾimwe/ | -mwe /mwe/ |
| Good | monate /monate/ | botse /botse/ | siame /siaːme/ | nde /nde/ | kahle /kaɬe/ | kunaka /kunaka/ | -mwaza /mwaza/ |
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