Tswana facts for kids

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Tswana

Setswana

Native to Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia

Native speakers (4.07 million in South Africa (2011)
1.07 million in Botswana cited 1993)e18
unknown number in Zimbabwe
7.7 million L2 speakers in South Africa (2002)

Language family

Niger–Congo

Atlantic–Congo
- Benue–Congo
  - Southern Bantoid
    - Bantu
      - Southern Bantu
        
        Sotho–Tswana
        
        Tswana

Writing system Latin (Tswana alphabet)

Official status

Official language in Botswana
South Africa
Zimbabwe

Guthrie code S.31

Linguasphere 99-AUT-eg incl. varieties 99-AUT-ega to 99-AUT-egn

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The Tswana language (or Setswana) is a language spoken in southern Africa. About five million people speak it. It is a Bantu language. It belongs to the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho languages. It is closely related to the Northern- and Southern Sotho languages.

Tswana is an official language of Botswana. Most Tswana speakers are in South Africa, where four million people speak the language.

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Tswana Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.