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

M.A. / CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The idiom is defined in this chapter. Information gathered from different sources including books is used to differentiate the idiom from the proverb. CHAPTER 2 THE ORIGIN OF IDIOMS Some sources, from which Northern Sotho idioms originate are discussed. The semantic and grammatical characteristics of idioms are also examined in the second chapter. CHAPTER 3 SOME SYNTACTICAL PATTERNS OF NORTHERN SOTHO IDIOMS This chapter is based on the main aim of this study. Most informants from whom some idioms were gathered, could not give their syntactical patterns, nor differentiate them from proverbs. Special idiomatic patterns are formed with verb-stems in the infinitive mood followed by nouns, pronouns, adverbs etc. as adjuncts. CHAPTER 4 THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF IDIOMS In the fourth chapter, the content of idioms and experiences to which these idioms give expression, are treated comprehensively. CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION Idiomatic patterns in Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Tswana and Tsonga

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

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

M.A. (African Languages) / The interjective demonstrative appears to be a problematic word category. This study investigates the current views on this subject in Northern Sotho. The morphology, semantics, syntax and the phonology of the interjective demonstrative are investigated and analyzed with the help of native speakers of Northern Sotho. The investigation reveals new perspectives concerning the unique character of the interjective demonstrative as a word category ...

Text in English / This study explores the syntax of the substantive phrase, more especially substantive phrase composed of more than one qualificative, in Sesotho. Adopting interviews, questionnaires and documents, the study seeks to investigate the syntactic sequence of qualificatives, their relation to the modified head word and influence of such ordering pattern in the phrase. Structurally, qualificatives comprise two components, namely the qualificative concord and stem. The qualificative serves to give varied information about the implicit or explicit substantive resulting in seven types of qualificatives in Sesotho, be they the Adjective, Demonstrative, Enumerative, Interrogative, Possessive, Quantifier and Relative. From the Minimalist perspective, the qualificative is recursive. The study established a maximum of five qualificatives in a single phrase. The number is generally achieved by recurrence of the Adjective, the Possessive and the Relative up to a maximum of four of the same qualificative in a single phrase. It is observed that the recurrence of the Demonstrative, Interrogative, Enumerative and Quantifier is proscribed in Sesotho. Regarding the ordering of qualificatives, it is also observed that the Demonstrative, Interrogative, Quantifier and Possessive mostly occupy the position closer to the substantive while the Adjective, Enumerative, Possessive and Quantifier mostly occur in the medial position. The Possessive and Relative occur in the outer-border position of the phrase. Such a sequence is influenced by several factors including focus, emphasis, the nature of the relationship between the head word and the dependent element, the syntactic complexity of the qualificative and the knowledge shared by both the speaker and the hearer about the qualified substantive. It can, therefore, be concluded that there are no strict rules of occurrence of the qualificatives in Sesotho. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)