M.A. (African Languages) / Africa encompasses such a variety of languages and language types that even today linguistic science is somewhat at a loss to describe the mutual relationships between all these languages. This study is concerned with the Sotho group of Bantu languages. The existing classifications of the Sotho group are examined with regard to the classification criteria employed and how consistently and correctly these have been applied. A critical consideration of these classifications brings to light a considerable number of problems which show the classifications to be inadequate. The conclusion is drawn that the various criteria need to be reconsidered and that the requirements for a well-founded, ideal classification of Sotho should be clearly spelled out. Three basic approaches to the problem are dealt with, namely: a purely synchronic linguistic. classification, a genealogical classification based on diachronic principles, and a sociolinguistic classification. In each case the applicability to Sotho of the method concerned, given the present state of knowledge, is evaluated. As regards a synchronic linguistic classification, it is shown that clarity is needed. concerning crucial terms such as "language" and "dialect"; that a hierarchy of criteria has to be determined; that mutual influences and the influences of non-related languages should be allowed for; and that different degrees of relatedness should be accounted for. Given that these problems are addressed satisfactorily and given that sufficient data is available, a wellfounded synchronic classification would be possible. In the case of a genealogical classification, the use of reconstructions of proto forms of the Bantu languages, such as those of Meinhof and Guthrie, and of reconstructions of Proto-Sotho, such as that of Dickens, is considered...
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:3902 |
| Date | 11 February 2014 |
| Creators | Havenga, Brenda |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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