The study was aimed at establishing in a scientific way the extent to which Sepedi is able to fulfill its role as one of the official languages in South Africa. The primary research question was whether Sepedi could function as a medium of communication in all the higher domains of life. The research question was addressed by firstly making a study of the language clauses and the language stipulations of the South African Constitution. The second step was to situate the research within the theoretical paradigm of language development and language planning and to take cognizance of both international and local perspectives in this field. In order to plan the way forward it was necessary to determine the exact position of Sepedi as far as the adequacy of its lexicon was concerned. As a result of the fact that there are very few written sources in Sepedi regarding some of the high function domains it was decided to compile a corpus of South African English high function words to form the basis for determining the lexical capacity of Sepedi in higher function domains. The procedure for building a corpus was determined by studying the methodology and praxis of three well-known international corpora of English. Following the same basic strategies as the compilers of these corpora an English High Function Corpus was compiled. By making use of standard techniques in computational lexicography frequencies and spreading were determined, and keywords were studied in context. In order to establish whether Sepedi does indeed have translation equivalents for the English high function words, and has the lexical capacity to act as a fully-fledged official language, the most appropriate sources to be used as diagnostic instruments were found to be the existing bilingual English-Sepedi dictionaries. The treatment of lexical items in the English-Sepedi bilingual dictionaries led to the conclusion that only 8 of the English high function words were not entered in any of the three dictionaries studied. The investigation also provided valuable insight into the quality and comprehensiveness of these dictionaries and indicated that they are in dire need of revision. Language planners and lexicographers of Sepedi are advised to make use of the heuristic and diagnostic tools available in modem-day metalexicography, but also to make sure that all lexicographical work reflects the linguistic reality within the speech community. / Thesis (DLitt (African Languages))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / African Languages / unrestricted

M.A. (African Languages) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (M. A. Linguistics) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / Refer to document

Many Southern Sotho authors have made important contributions to Southern Sotho literature. Their works cover a wide range of subjects which evince great differenees in significance and depth. We note this in the different books they have written and the themes they have treated. Unfortunately, to date, no serious evaluation of their books has been attempted. The real value of the works is still unkrown to the reader. No effort has been made to unearth the gist of the artist's imaginative power and also to pin-point the weaknesses, so that they oan be remedied. The critical and creative functions must be developed simultaneously if our literature is to attain great heights. At present there is, in most works, a kind of 'stagnation' and spiritual poverty which is realized in a failure to appreciate the meaning of our cultural milieu. We live, as it were, consciously in the present, out- - rooted and transported from cultural forces as if they do not impinge on our minds . There is a lack of depth and failure to recapture the essence of human feeling and thought, less ability and intellectual skill to interpret the world around, and a general incompetence to explain and unfold the very being of human sensitivity. / African Languages / M.A. (Bantu Languages)

Submitted to Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1988. / This dissertation treats Vowel Raising as a part of Assimilation in Southern Sotho. Assimilation as a concept in any language is a broad concept that includes consonantal and vowel- influences that have been juxtaposed. The influence may be between two vowels in juxtaposition i.e. [i] next to [e] produces [e] . [u] next to [ O 3 or E E 3 also produce the allophones of two vowel phonemes i.e. E C> 3 and EE3 respectively. In short, when close vowels are juxtaposed to open or semi-open vowels, raising will take place. Exceptions may occur sporadically. This study has been treated in eight chapters. (a) CHAPTER ONE Theoretical background and motivation to the study are given. An hypothesis that [ £ 3 and E J3 as allophones are non-semantic, is given. (b) CHAPTER TWO Common Bantu and Ur-Bantu are discussed. The aim is to trace how far they had influenced the development of the present Southern Sotho. Different types of Sotho v/charts are treated. (c) CHAPTER THREE The origin of the Vowel Charts in respect of the IPA is discussed. All what pertains to IPA alphabet and its usage is treated. (d) CHAPTER FOUR The Vowel treatment of I) P Kunene and D T Cole are critically discussed- The two are the great contributors to the study of Vowels in Sotho. (e) CHAPTER FIVE Southern Sotho Vowel chart is made from the research findings. (f) CHAPTER SIX The Concept Assimilation is treated in full. (g) CHAPTER SEVEN Vowel raising as a concept is fully treated. CHAPTER EIGHT i) In order to grasp Vowel Raising correctly an attempt at its codification has been done. This approach has contributed greatly to the. study of Vowel Raising. ii) In conclusion it has been discovered that [e] and Co] are phonemes identical with Cardinal vowels numbers 2 and 7. They are not the allophones of [E] and [a 3 as Kunene argues. / University of Zululand

Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines data from account-giving in Sesotho. Am account-making process according to Warren (1989), is more like a "life in motion" in which individual characters are portrayed as moving through their experiences, dealing with some problem in their lives and at the same time diligently searching for a resolution. It is then this quest to understand the major stresses in each individual's mind that is at the core of this study. The reasons that lead to the result of the daily experiences of destitution, depression, death, disability etc, are also addressed here. Narrative accounts form the basis of moral and social events and as such, stories have two elements through which they are explored. They are explored firstly in the way in which they are told and secondly, in the way they are lived in the social context. These stories follow a historically or culturally based format, and to this effect, Gergen (1994) posited narrative criteria that constitute a historically contingent narrative form. Narrative forms are linguistic tools that have important social functions to satisfactorily fulfil such needs as stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek data oor verslagdoening in Sesotho. 'n Verslagdoeningsproses is volgens Warren (1989) soos 'lewe in beweging', waarin individuele karakters voorgestel word as dat hulle beweeg deur ervarings, en een of ander probleem in hulle lewe aanspreek, en terselfdertyd soek na 'n oplossing. Dit is hierdie soeke om die spanninge te verstaan in die denke van elke individu wat aan die kern van hierdie studie lê. Die redes wat lei tot die resultaat van die daaglikse ondervindings van eensaamheid, depressie, dood, gestremdheid, ens. word ook beklemtoon in hierdie studie met verwysing na Sesotho verslagdoenings. Narratiewe verslagdoening vorm die basis van morele en sosiale gebeure, en as sulks, vorm dit die twee elemente waardeur hulle ondersoek word. Dit word ondersoek, eerstens deur die wyse waarop dit vertel word en tweedens, deur die wyse waarop dit beleef word in die sosiale konteks. Hierdie stories volg 'n histories of kultureel-gebaseerde formaat en, tot hierdie effek, het Gergen (1994) narratiewe kriteria gepostuleer wat 'n histories afhanklike narratief vorm. Narratiewe vorme is linguistiese gereedskap wat belangrike sosiale funksies het om behoeftes te vervul aan stabiliteit narratiewe, progressiewe narratiewe, en regressiewe narratiewe.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The break and bend verbs in Sesotho are investigated with a view to account for the unique properties of these verbs. The study gives a full account of the predicate argument structure of break and bend verbs. In Sesotho we have three types of predicates, namely, one-place, two-place and three-place predicates. The study also focuses on the number of arguments these verbs may assign. Some of these verbs are intransitive and therefore they assign one argument, which is an external argument. Other verbs are transitive and as such they assign more than one argument (i.e. external and internal arguments). These verbs are investigated as to whether they would select certain arguments to appear with them and it was found that when they do, they also select semantic features which these arguments must have in order to appear with such verbs. These verbs are also examined with the view to account for their difference. It was found that certain bend verbs show the same syntactic properties as the break verbs, except those bend verbs name reverse actions. Another observation was that not all break and bend verbs have zero-related nominaIs. When they do, the nominals describe the result of the action named by the verb. The study investigate these verbs as to whether they would allow cognate objects, verbal alternations and derived verbs (in the case of bend verbs), and it was found that some of them would allow such lexical items. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die breek en buig werkwoorde in Sesotho is ondersoek met die doel om die unieke kenmerke van hierdie werkwoorde te bepaal. Die studie verskaf 'n beskrywing van die predikaat argumentstruktuur van breek en buig werkwoorde in Sesotho. Ons het drie tipes predikate, te wete eenplek, tweeplek en drieplek predikate. Die studie fokus ook op die aantal argumente wat hierdie werkwoorde kan toeken. Sommige van hierdie werkwoorde is onoorganklik, derhalwe ken hulle een argument toe wat ekstern is. Ander werkwoorde is oorganklik, sodat meer as een argument, te wete ekstern en intern, toegeken word. Daar is ook ondersoek of hierdie werkwoorde argumente kan selekteer om met hulle te verskyn, en dit is bevind dat as hulle dit doen, hulle ook die semantiese kenmerk selekteer wat hierdie argumente moet he as hulle saam met daardie werkwoorde verskyn. Hierdie werkwoorde is ondersoek met die doel om hul verskil te bepaal. Daar is bevind dat sommige buig werkwoorde dieselfde sintaktiese eienskappe het as die breek werkwoorde, behalwe dat buig werkwoorde ook reversiet is. 'n Verdere kenmerk is dat nie alle breek en buig werkwoorde voorkom met nul-verwante nominaIe. As hulle dit doen, beskryf die nominale die uitslag van die handeling in die werkwoord. Daar is ondersoek of kognitiewe voorwerpe, werkwoord alternasies en afgeleide werkwoorde toegelaat kan word, en daar is bevind dat sommiges dit toelaat.

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 (DLitt)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / 207 leaves printed single pages, preliminary pages i-xiii and numbered pages 1-195. Includes bibliography. / Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR), using a Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The object of this study is to examine the expression of tragedy in randomly selected Sesotho novels in two major periods, namely the early period (1925 to 1970s) and the later period (1970s to 1990s). Five Sesotho novels will be discussed in each period and give an indication of tragic expression in that period. It is however not the main emphasis in this work to compare and contrast between the two periods but mainly to observe patterns of tragedy and tragic expressions in Sesotho novels. Chapter One orientates the reader by indicating aspects such as the problem identification, aim of the research, the approach or modus operandi, the scope as well as the organisation of the study, that is, a brief arrangement of chapters and presentation of what would be contained in subsequent chapters. Chapter Two presents the theoretical framework within which the research will be based. As the theoretical framework in this work, aspects of tragedy, namely, character, plot and theme will be discussed. Chapter Three focuses on the early Sesotho tragedies within the literary period 1925 to 1970s. As already indicated, five novels, namely, Chaka, Mphatlalatsane, Moiketsi, Mosali a nkhola, and Leshala Ie tswala molora will be discussed in terms of the theoretical principles suggested in Chapter Two. At the end of the chapter, an analysis of the findings and conclusions will be drawn on tragic expressions in these novels. These novels distinguish themselves as largely classical tragedies (there are modern ones also) in terms of the nature of tragic characters available. Chapter Four examines the later Sesotho tragedies ranging between the period 1970s to 1990s. As in early Sesotho novels, five novels will be discussed with a view to highlight tragic expressions in this period. Peo ena ejetswe ke wena, Mehaladitwe ha e eketheha, Nna ke mang, Ke lesheleshele leo a iphehletseng lona and Lehlaba la lephako will be the novels we analyse. Analysis of the findings will be made and conclusions drawn at the end of the chapter in how tragedy is expressed in all these novels. These novels distinguish themselves as largely modern tragedies in terms of the tragic characters portrayed in them. Chapter Five presents the general conclusions on all the novels discussed in the two periods. A comparison will be made as to how tragic expression differs from one period to another particularly in terms of the three aspects of tragedy. Each novel will be given the individual attention and focussed exclusively as to how it presents tragedy and how perhaps it differs from others. / SESOTHO ABSTRACT: Ka mosebetsi ona wa diphuputso re hlahloba ka moo mahlomola a totobatswang ka teng dingolweng tse kgethilweng dinakong tsena tsa bongodi, e leng ho tloha selemong sa 1925 ho isa selemong sa 1970 le tse hlahlamang esita le nako ya morao e qalang selemong sa 1970 ho isa dilemong tsa 1990 le tse hlahlamang. Re tla hlahloba dipale tse hlano mokgahlelong 0 mong le 0 mong wa nako e le ho totobatsa ka moo mahlomola a hlahiswang ka teng dipaleng tsa Sesotho. Ha se sepheo se seholo sa mosebetsi ona ho bapisa totobatso ya mahlomola mekgahlelong ena ya nako empa sepheo se seholo ke ho bontsha ka moo mahlomola a hlahiswang ka teng dipaleng tsa Sesotho. Kgaolong ya Pele re tla nyenyeletsa mrnadi diphuputsong tsena ka ho mo tsebisa dintlha tsa bohlokwa malebana Ie mosebetsi ona tse kang totobatso ya qaka, sepheo sa phuputso ena, mokgwa oo phuputso e tla etswa ka ona, dintlha tse tla fuputswa esita le tlhophiso ya mosebetsi ona. Ka tlhophiso ya mosebetsi ona re bolela tatelano ya dikgaolo esita le tlhahiso ya kgaolo ka nngwe, ho tse tla latela. Kgaolong ya Bobedi re hlahisa teori kapa moralo wa tsebo 0 tla sebediswa bakeng sa phuputso ena. Tse ding tsa dikarolwana tsa moralo ona wa tsebo e tla ba dikarolo tsa bohlokwa tsa pale ya mahlomola, mme ka hona mosebetsi 0 tla totobatsa mophetwa, moralo wa kgohlano (poloto) le mookotaba. Dintlha tsena tsa moralo wa tsebo di tla sebediswa dipaleng tsa Sesotho tse tla hlahlojwa dikgaolong tse tla latela. Kgaolong ya Boraro re hlahloba dipale tsa Sesotho tse ngotsweng mokgahlelong wa pele wa nako mme e le nako e qalang selemong sa 1925 ho isa selemong sa 1970 le tse mmalwa tse latelang. Jwalo ka ha re se re hlalositse, re tla hlahloba dipale tse hlano e leng Chaka, Mphatlalatsane, Moiketsi, Mosali a nkhola le Leshala le tswala rnolora ho latela dintlha tseo re buileng ka tsona kgaolong ya bobedi. Qetellong ya kgaolo ena re tla hlahloba diqeto tseo re di etsang ho latela tseo re di lemohileng dipaleng tsena malebana Ie tlhahiso ya mahlomola. Dipale tsena ke dipale tsa tlelaseki tse tshwanang le tsa.S ekgerike (le hoja ho ntse ho na le dipale tsa sejwalejwale) ho latela semelo sa mophetwa wa mahlomola. Kgaolong ya Bone re hlahloba dipale tsa mahlomola tsa mokgahlelo wa sejwalejwale mme e le dipale tse ngotsweng nakong ya selemo sa 1970 ho tla tihla dilemong tsa 1990 le tse hlahlamang. Jwalo ka ha re ile ra etsa dipaleng tsa kgale, re tla hlahloba dipale tse hlano e le ho bontsha ka moo mahlomola a totobatswang ka teng paleng tsa Sesotho. Dipale tseo re tla di hlahloba ke Pea ena ejetswe ke wena, Mehaladitwe ha e eketheha, Nna ke mang, Ke lesheleshele lea a iphehletseng lana Ie Lehlaba la lephaka. Ha re se re hlahlobile dipale tsena re tla fana ka diqeto tseo re di tihleletseng mabapi le ka moo mahlomola a hlahiswang ka teng paleng tsena. Dipale tsena di ka tsejwa e le dipale tsa sejwalejwale ho latela mofuta wa mophetwa wa mahlomola ya fumanwang ho tsona. Kgaolong ya Bohlano re fana ka diqeto tse akaretsang malebana Ie dipale tsohle tseo re di hlahlobileng mekgahlelong ena e mmedi ya nako. Re tla bapisa ka moo tlhahiso ya mahlomola e fapaneng ka teng ka lebaka la tshwaetso ya semelo sa mophetwa, diketsahalo kapa moralo esita Ie mookotaba kapa molaetsa. Re tla lekola pale ka nngwe mme re hlahlobe ka moo e hlahisang mahlomola ka teng le ka moo e fapanang le dipale tse ding ka teng. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die voorkoms van die tragedie in geselekteerde Suid-Soetoe romans gedurende hoofsaaklik twee periodes, naamlik, die vroeere periode (1925 tot die 1970's) en die latere periode (1970 tot die 1990's) te ondersoek. Vyf Suid-Soetoe romans sal bespreek word rakende elke periode en sal 'n aanduiding gee van die tragedie gedurende die betrokke periode. Dit is egter nie die hoofdoel van die werk om vergelykings en onderskeidinge tussen die twee periodes te tref nie, maar eerder om tragedie en tragiese elemente binne Suid-Soetoe romans te bespreek. Hoofstuk Een se doel sal wees om die leser te orienteer aangesien dit aspekte soos die probleem identifikasie, die doel van die studie, die omvang en die voorlopige navorsing gemaak in terme van ander navorsingswerke rakende die onderwerp bevat, naamlik, vorige studies rakende die karakter in Suid-Soetoe romans met spesifieke verwysing na tragiese karakters. Die hoofstuk sal ook die uiteensetting van die studie, soos die uitleg van die hoofstukke en inhoud van daaropvolgende hoofstukke bevat, bespreek. Hoofstuk Twee stel die teoretiese raamwerk bekend waarop die navorsing gebasseer is. As deel van die raamwerk, sal aspekte van die tragedie soos karakter, intrige en tema bespreek word. Hierdie teoretiese aspekte sal dan toegepas word op Suid-Soetoe romans in opvolgende hoofstukke. Hoofstuk Drie fokus op die vroeere Suid-Soetoe tragedies binne die literere periode 1925 tot 1970s. Vyf romans, naamlik Chaka, Mphatlalatsane, Moiketsi, Mosali a nkhola en Leshala Ie tswala rnolora sal bespreek word in terme van teoretiese beginsels genoem in Hoofstuk Twee. Aan die einde van die hoofstuk sal 'n analise gemaak word van die bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings rakende die tragedie se voorkoms in hierdie romans. Hierdie romans onderskei hulself grootliks as klassieke tragedies in terme van die tragiese karakters se voorkoms. Hoofstuk Vier ondersoek die latere Suid-Soetoe tragedies gedurende die tydperk 1970 tot 1990. Soos in die vroeere tydperk, sal vyf romans bespreek word met die doel om die aspekte van tragedie te aksentueer. Peo ena e jetswe ke wena, Mehaladitwe ha e eketheha, Nna ke mang, Ke lesheleshele leo a iphehletseng lona en Lehlaba la lephako sal romans wees waarop gefokus word. 'n Analise van die bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings sal gemaak word aan die einde van die hoofstuk en sal die voorkoms van die tragedie in al die romans beskryf. Hierdie romans onderskei hulself hoofsaaklik as moderne tragedies in terme van die tragiese karakters se voorkoms. Hoofstuk Vyf verskaf algemene gevolgtrekkings waartoe gekom is in die voorafgaande bespreking van die genoemde twee periodes. 'n Vergelyking sal gemaak word oor hoe die voorkoms van die tragedie verskil van een periode na die ander, rakende die tragiese figuur. Elke roman sal individuele aandag kry en klem sal gele word op hoe dit verskil van ander romans.

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