Sotho language
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9.1
- noun
- The Sotho language is widely spoken in Lesotho and parts of South Africa.
Examples
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I am learning the Sotho language this year.
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He wrote his thesis on the structure of the Sotho language.
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She is fluent in both English and Sotho language.
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The Sotho language is rich in culture.
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The Sotho language is widely spoken in Lesotho and parts of South Africa.
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He wrote his thesis on the structure of the Sotho language.
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She is fluent in both English and Sotho language.
Synonyms
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8.8
A group of related southern African languages spoken in Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'Sotho' names the ethnic/linguistic group and 'language' denotes a system of speech, so together they straightforwardly mean the language of the Sotho people. This proper‑noun + language naming pattern is cross‑linguistically common and thus immediately understandable to a learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Sotho language is named after the Sotho people who live mainly in Lesotho and parts of South Africa. They call their language 'Sesotho', which means the language of the Sotho, so the name shows it is the speech of that people.