Thesis (M. A. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / This mini dissertation investigate term creation in Northern Sotho/ Sepedi as a language. The research design for this study was exploratory because the researcher managed to determine the research design and data collected from the participants. The qualitative methodology was applied in this study to find in-depth knowledge on the investigation. The two samplings namely: random and purposive were used to select twenty participants such as teachers, lecturers, language practitioners, lexicographers and registered third year students of Northern Sotho at University of Limpopo. The study investigate various strategies in term creation namely: transliteration, semantic transfer, borrowing, paraphrasing, and many more. It was clear from the participants that transliteration and paraphrasing are mostly used in term creation. It is recommended that terms should be harvested by specialised individuals in order to perform term creation.

Thesis (M. A. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2005 / Refer to the document

Thesis (M.A. (Folklore Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / The main objective of this research is actually to highlight the importance of the meanings of the indigenous names among the Basotho ba Leboa in the area of Phalaborwa as against the ideas planted by western culture among these communities. The research will show that although Phalaborwa is a multi-racial area, people who are born and bred there are still following the norms and values of their community by their forefathers, despite other people diverging from these norms and values as the majority of the African people in this area have lost their life style due to the influence of European culture. The advent of Western culture has negative effects in the indigenous African naming system. Christianity names as well were some of the methods, which Western culture is transmitted to the Sotho people and the most effective system which is destroying the indigenous names. The research would show that the people who claim to be educated are the ones who have a tendency of giving their children, western names which have little or no significance regarding their culture. The researchers’ findings would further illustrate that despite the people of Phalaborwa moving away from their norms and values, there are still people who believe in their norms and values and who still believe that traditional names have an impact on the life of an individual and his or her family. There are still people in Phalaborwa who believe that traditional names bestow have identity and that all African names have meanings rooted in culture and history. / N/A

Thesis (M.A. (Translation Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / This study focuses on aspects that form part of the reasons of not having complete bidirectional bilingual dictionaries and to find solutions to those problems. The following dictionaries have been evaluated in this study: Oxford Pukuntšu ya Sekolo School Dictionary (2010), Pharos Popular Northern Sotho Dictionary (2007 & 2009) and Sesotho sa Leboa/English Pukuntšu Dictionary (2006). Most African bilingual dictionaries which are supposed to be bidirectional are not because reversibility is not applied thoroughly. This study focuses on checking how Northern Sotho-English bilingual dictionaries apply the reversibility principle. When evaluating bilingual dictionaries it comes to light that there are a lot of errors that lexicographers commit and these errors negatively affect the process of compiling complete user-friendly bidirectional dictionaries. Having user-friendly bidirectional bilingual dictionaries is very important because dictionaries help different language speakers to learn each other’s language.

Thesis (MA. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / Structural markers, front matter, contextual guidance and cross-referencing are some of the important features of bilingual dictionaries which are often taken for granted. This study evaluates the presentation of structural markers in some Northern Sotho/English Bilingual dictionaries, with special reference to Pharos: Popular Northern Sotho Dictionary and Sesotho sa Leboa/English Pukuntšu Dictionary. The study further evaluates the use of the front matter, contextual guidance and cross-referencing in bilingual dictionaries. The study has established that bilingual dictionaries can become user-friendly if they identify and use appropriate strategies, as this leads to communicative success. By contrast, the incorrect application of a comma or a semicolon may lead to a misinterpretation of the supplied equivalents in bilingual dictionaries.

D.Ed. / The aim of the research study is to design a methodological model for teaching Northern Sotho poetry at Colleges of Education so that teaching poetry will retain a spirit of delightfulness and cultivate a sensitivity of appreciation in pupils. They should grow as persons and learn to expand their imaginations so as to experience aesthetic pleasure. The various components of the syllabus for the Secondary Teachers' Diploma were investigated to determine whether they are relevant to secondary schools for which prospective teachers are being prepared. The opinions of lecturers, teachers and other educationists who are, or were involved in the teaching of Northern Sotho were considered and relevant study sources were used as a basis for the research study. A detailed comparative teaching and learning model for the study of Northern Sotho poetry was developed and a recommended model was designed which does not isolate Northern Sotho poetry teaching from that of classical languages, but identifies Northern Sotho poetry as having its own unique characteristics which, to a certain extent, provide its uniqueness. When analysing and determining the various types of Northern Sotho poetry and their characteristics, the difference between Western poetry and Northern Sotho poetry can be distinguished clearly. The historical development of Northern Sotho poetry, showing the various trends and thematic periods, was traced from as far back as 1935. The thesis provides a background of the types and characteristics of classical poetry and determines a model for the implementation of the teaching of Northern Sotho poetry, seeing that the absence of well-formulated aims and objectives is one of the weaknesses in the current Secondary Teachers' Diploma syllabus. Various pedagogical-didactical approaches are highlighted with emphasis on the communicative approach as a recommended childcentred approach. A model for teaching and evaluating Northern Sotho poetry has been formulated and its practical implementation is recommended. The research study culminates in practical pedagogic-didactical proposed measures which will enhance and improve the quality of teaching and evaluating Northern Sotho poetry. A selection of Northern Sotho poems, available for the various classes, was chosen and analysed in detail. The constitution and function of a Selection Committee and a Reviewing Book Committee was recommended with suggestions for membership. Outstanding poets and their contributions to Northern Sotho, which represent traditional as well as modern poetry, were selected as examples of the various methods used in preparing lesson/s on various poems. The thesis provides detailed information for prospective teachers in Northern Sotho poetry, which should be included in their syllabus, namely aims and objectives, content, teaching and learning methodology, testing and evaluation and also a model for evaluating literature and poetry in general. I sincerely hope that the study will be an incentive to developing a spirit of delight in Northern Sotho poetry as well as provoke critical response from lecturers, teachers and pupils alike, so that the teaching and learning of poetry will become the joy it deserves to be.

D.Litt. et Phil. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Applied Linguistics) / 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

The thesis investigates the factors which lead to the development of 'prestige' terminology in the Northern Sotho vocabulary. It investigates the factors which lead to the development of 'prestige' language varieties and 'prestige' dialects, which are sources of 'prestige' terminology. These factors include, inter alia, urbanization, industrialization, the missionary activities and standardisation. The thesis tries to explain the reason why most of the Northern Sotho people do not feel free to speak their language when they are among other communitiesK__U explains the reason why the speakers of the so-called 'inferior' dialects of Northern Sotho have an inferiority complex while the speakers of the 'prestige' dialects have confidence when speaking their dialects. The people who are residents of the urban and industrialized areas have a high standard of living due to the availability of employment opportunities, while the rural communities are usually unemployed and, as such, their standard of living is low. This elevates the urban community to a high status which is shared by the type of language they speak. The rural communities start associating themselves with the urban communities by imitating the urban varieties in order to elevate themselves. This is one of the reasons which lead to the widespread use of urban slang and other language varieties which are associated with the urban areas of South Africa, i.e. the PWV (Pretoria, Witwatersrand and Vereeniging). Standardisation of Northern Sotho and the missionary activities within the Northern Sotho communities led to the creation of 'superior' and 'inferior' dialects. The missionary societies established missionary stations among certain Northern Sotho communities while other communities did not have these stations, and became the vanguards of Western civilization among the indigenous people of Southern Africa. ~The dialects among which the missionary stations were established came to enjoy a high status since these varieties were the first to be converted to written forms. In this case, the first varieties to be considered during standardisation were those which had a written orthography, and this is exactly what happened in the standardisation of Northern Sotho. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)