D.Litt. et Phil. / The main aim of this thesis is to study ambiguity in Northern Sotho. Ambiguity, often referred to as 'double or multiple meaning', is, as Scheffler (1979:i) observes, "deserving of systematic study" in its own right. In this study, an attempt is made to give it the attention it deserves insofar as research is concerned. Life is full of verbal (and visual) tricks that are constantly teasing the interlocutors and never allow their interpretative faculties to come to rest. Such verbal tricks sometimes lead to confusions and misunderstandings that often result in unnecessary conflicts. It is the main aim of this investigation to investigate such misunderstandings by revealing what these tricks are, and try to make people aware of such verbal tricks.

Thesis (M.A. (Northern Sotho)) -- University of the North, 1977 / Refer to the document

Thesis (MA (African Languages))-- University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The study on accounts examines how people account for the activities and experiences through our personal stories emanating from how they behave in the community, and because of the past stories they tell. The study thus provides an examination of accounts as well as account-giving. It provides a scientific understanding of the value and impact of personal stories and story-telling in people’s lives. The problem experienced in relation to accounts relates to how accounts impact on people and vice versa. One hypotheses of this study on accounts relates to the nature of the process associated with people’s presentation of personal account to others. The aims and objectives of this study crucially relate to providing an analysis and understanding of accounts. The research method used in this study provides a basis to the analysis and understanding of accounts in the sense that individuals who were interviewed in the process, provided informative accounts of their childhood stories, some of whom were not aware that they have or had an impact on their daily lives. The main findings of the research provide insights into accounts. The findings are informative and contribute to theory development as regard account-giving, including factors relating to deference and respect. The recommendation that given in this work is that personal stories have a scientific merit in terms of a comunication-theoretic approach to narratives, as shown in the study.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

MA (Northern Sotho) / Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha Dipolelong tsa Afrika, Bokgabo le Setso Karolog ya Sesotho sa Leboa / See the attached abstract below

Thesis (M. A. (Northern Sotho)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / There is nothing new on earth. Every text is the repetition of another text, or other things already existing. This study reflects on the texts leaning thematically on other texts. It does so by critically examining the intertexts which shaped O.K. Matsepe’s four novels, namely Lešitaphiri (1963), Megokgo ya Bjoko (1968), Kgorong ya Mošate (1962) and Mahlatse a Madimabe (1981). By revealing the intertexts, it is hoped that a maximum understanding of the novels by this outstanding author is reached. Underpinned by intertextual theory, this study adopted a qualitative approach to allow a better understanding of the identified phenomena. The four novels were purposevily sampled due to their relevancy to the topic under discussion. The study employed content analysis to thoroughly analyse data which were collected using a document review method. The discussion and findings of the study clearly indicates that the Bible and culture are the two main sources which influenced Matsepe’s writing. This research contributes to the existing knowledge as it scrutinises Matsepe’s philosophical novels which are still relevant to the current epoch and beyond.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a narration of personal experiences of the Northern Sotho people and their way of doing their activities. The Northern Sotho people and their ways of doing things have been characterized by a proliferation of different ways of living governance. This living governance is by people who are a distance from the Northern Sotho way of living that has been influenced by day to day changes of technology and the style of living, whereby people can do anything to can fit in the current lifestyle. The problem experienced in relation to accounts is how accounts impact on us and visa versa. The Northern Sotho narration dates back from the pre-colonial, colonial and apartheid era. These linear stages of governance have had an influence in the transformation of the Northern Sotho. This transformation has seen a delusion of the original Northern Sotho discourses. A mixture of different cultures in the process of transformation has also characterized this, where the Northern Sotho people have adopted other tribes’ norms and values; in the process losing their own original identity. Other tribes have also lost their original ways of doing things by absorbing Northern Sotho norms and values. The findings of research will determine how difficult it is to transform original cultures to the most dominant culture of today, which is more westernized. People will analyze the findings influential in doing self-introspection, which will assist in determining oneself. The recommendation that could be given would be that one need to look back at the importance of cultural values from where he or she comes and to make it fit into today’s life as this will prevent uncertainties and assist in building the current and next generation’s future. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: gemeenskap en hul manier om met hul aktiwiteite te handel. Die Noord-Sotho gemeenskap en hul manier om dinge te handel word gekenmerk deur ‘n vinnige toename in die diverse invloede deur mense wat verskillende lewenswyse as hul eie het. Hierdie lewenwyse word gekenmerk deur die vinnige ontwikkelende tegnologie en lewenstyl waarvolgens mense enigiets kan doen om in die hedendaagse maniere om dinge te doen in te pas. Ondervindinge in verhouding met die beskrywings is hoe die beskrywings ons beinvloed en andersom. Die Noord Sotho vertelling is gedateer vanaf die prekoloniale-, koloniale-, apartheid- en pos-apartheid eras. Hierdie liniere fases van magsuitoefening het ‘n invloed gehad in die transformasie van die Noord Sotho. Hierdie transformasie het gesien tot die verkeerde ideé van die oorspronklike kommunikasies van Noord-Sotho lewenswyse. ‘n Mengsel van verskillende kulture in die proses van transformasie het ook hierdeur kenmerk, waar die Noord Sotho bevolking ander stamme se norme en waardes aangeneem het en sodoende hul oorspronklike identiteit verloor het. Ander stamme het ook hul oorspronklike manier om hul dinge te doen verloor deur dat hulle norme en waarders van die Noord –Sotho geabsobeer het. Die navorsings bevindinge sal bepaal hoe moeilik dit is om suiwer kulture te omvorm tot die mees dominante hedendaagse kultuur wat meer verwesters is. Mense sal die bevindinge analiseer wat op instrospeksie impakteer en selfbeeld bepaal. Die aanbeiling is dat die historiese belangrikheid van die kulturele waardes in ag geneem moet word as die basis waar ons vandaan kom en dat ons dit in werking moet stel in die hedendaagse lewe. Dit sal onsekerhede voorkom en ook help om die toekoms van die huidige en toekomstige generasies te bou. / KAKARETŠO: Ke kanego ka ga bophelo bja batho ba Sesotho sa Leboa le mediro ya bona. Mekgwa le mediro yeo e akaretšago bophelo ka bophara bja setšo sa Leboa e hweditšwe ke mebušo yeo e bušago. Mebušo yeo le yona e hweditšwe ke diphetogo tša tšatši ka tšatši tša setekiniki le bophelo bja selehono moo batho ba lekanago ka maatla go ka ikhwetša ba kgona go phela maemong a selehono. Ditlhalošo tša setšo sa Leboa di balelwa go tloga mehleng ya pele ga koloni, ka nako ya kgatelelo le ka morago ga kgatelelo. Nakong tše ka moka tša go fapafapana, mebušo ya gona e bile le khuetšo e kgolo setšong sa leboa. Go lekana ga ditšo tša go fapafapana diphetogong setšong le gona go amile dipheto setšong sa batho ba Leboa gomme ba thoma go loba boitšhupo bja botšo. Merafe e mengwe le yona e lahlegetšwe ke botšo ka go latela ditlwaedi le mekgwa ya Sesotho sa Leboa. Go ya ka dinyakišišo, go nale sešupo sa gore ga go bonolo go ka fetoga setšong sa bogologolo go fetogela go setšo sa sebjale seo se tibilego ka mekgwa ya sekgowa. Batho ba tla lebeledišiša ditšhupetšo tšeo di nago le khuetšo ya go inyaka le go inyakišiša, e lego seo se tla thušago motho gore a te tsebe. Kakanyo yeo e ka tlišago phetogo ke ge go ka lebelelwa morago botsong bja setšo. Go lebelelwe ka moo se bego se hlomphiwa ka gona e bile se latelelwa gomme go be le tlhotleletšo ya gore se šomišwe bophelong bja selehono. Tlhotleletšo ye e ka thibela dipelaelo le go thuša go aga bokamoso bja meloko ya lehono le yeo e sa tlago.

The basic aim of this study is to investigate the nature of the narrative, concerning itself with the structures inherent in a system of signs which reveals the communicative function of literature. The general aim is to interpret the meaning of the narrative against the cultural background. The study makes a synthesis of formalist and structuralist points of view on the relations between story and discourse. A comparison of the oral and written narratives reveals that the discourse of the latter displays more artistry than that of the former. An examjnation of the problems of theme selection and development in the Northern Sotho prose narrative, from the point of view of African literature, is made. This reveals that the South African censorship laws have caused the emergence of sophisticated writers with a highly developed artistic way of portraying the South African situation sensitively by making it speak for itself. The study also examines some aspects of character in the narrative, analyzing the actions of characters in the story rather than psychological essences about them, and showing how these characters help the reader to understand the narrator's moral vision of the world. A comparison of the narrative techniques in the oral and the written narrative shows that in the former, the narrator is limited by tradition to the actions and the events that can be seen or heard, while the narrator in the latter can even describe what his characters are thinking or feeling. The study finally examines the relationship between symbolism and culture in the Northern Sotho narrative to reveal the general African philosophy in which -life is perceived as a perpetual journey undertaken by the hero from the natural to the non-natural world, whence he returns to the original world after experiencing moral lassitude and frustration. In the conclusion it is observed that both the oral and the written narratives deal with the intricacies of life as series of patterns and developments. The functional nature of the traditional African aesthetics reflected in the narratives prescribes the study of their meaning against the African cultural background. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

MA (Northern Sotho) / Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha Dipopelong tsa Afrika, Bokgabo le Setso / See the attached abstract below

M.A. (African Languages) / This research concentrates primarily on feminism and attempts to study it in relation to Northern Sotho literature. As Kekana is undoubtedly the first author to deal with this topic in her novel - NONYANA YA TOKOLOGO (The Bird of Freedom), this proves the fact that in Northern Sotho literature feminism is still at its infancy stage, hence, the topic of this research - KEKANA'S NONYANA YA TOKOLOGO AS REPRESENTATIVE OF EMERGING FEMINISM IN NORTHERN SOTHO LITERATURE. Feminism emerges in Northern Sotho literature for the following two reasons: firstly, Kekana is the first writer in Northern Sotho to show vested interest in the topic; secondly, though her efforts in pioneering this path are appreciated, she should have clearly shown the way women should go to be liberated from patriarchal prison. After demonstrating so well that men oppress women in a patriarchal society, she dampens women's morale to aspire to freedom by returning Taamane to her oppressor- Tshaledi.