Northern Sotho
| Northern Sotho | |
|---|---|
| Sesotho sa Leboa | |
| Native to | South Africa |
Native speakers | 4,208,940 |
Niger–Congo?
| |
| Official status | |
Official language in | South Africa |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | nso |
| ISO 639-3 | nso |
Northern Sotho (or "Sesotho sa Leboa" in the language itself), is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by 4,208,980 people (2001 Census Data), mostly in the provinces of Gauteng, Limpopo Province and Mpumalanga.
Northern Sotho is one of the so-called Bantu languages, belonging to the Niger-Congo language family. It is most closely related to Setswana and Sesotho (Southern Sotho).
Northern Sotho is often referred to as Sepedi, and there is some confusion as to which name to use. The name "Sepedi" is not, as some believe, synonymous with "Northern Sotho"; the official Northern Sotho language is intended to encompass approximately 30 closely related dialects, of which Sepedi is one. The name "Sepedi" thus refers specifically to the language of the Bapedi (Sepedi-speaking people), while "Northern Sotho" refers to the official language which is more broadly encompassing. Thus if speaking to a Mopedi (Sepedi-speaking person) specifically, it is not incorrect to say "Sepedi", but if speaking about the official language, it is "Northern Sotho" or "Sesotho sa Leboa". Historically, Northern Sotho has largely been based on Sepedi, as the missionaries who first developed the orthography mainly had contact with the Bapedi, and this is probably where the confusion originated. Further confusion arose when the South African constitution incorrectly cited "Sepedi" as being the official language. The Pan South African Language Board specifically endorses the names "Northern Sotho" or "Sesotho sa Leboa".