Sotho Alphabet
Sesotho orthography is based on the following alphabet:
Orthography | IPA | Notes | Example |
---|---|---|---|
a | /ɑ/ | Like English spa | ho abela to distribute |
b | /b/ | this consonant is fully voiced | lebese milk |
bj | /bʒ/ | ho bjarana to break apart like a clay pot | |
/bj/ | ? | ||
d | an allophone of /l/ only occurring before the close vowels (/i/ and /u/) | Modimo God | |
e | /ɪ/ | Like English pit | ho leka to attempt |
/e/ | Like English cafe | ho jwetsa to tell | |
/ɛ/ | Like English bed | ho sheba to look | |
f | /f/ | ho fumiana to find | |
fj | /fʃ/ | only found in short passives of verbs ending with fa; alternative sh | ho bofjwa to be tied |
h | /h/ or /ɦ/ | these two sounds are allophones | ho aha to build |
hl | /ɬ/ | ho hlahloba to examine | |
i | /i/ | As in English beet | tho bitsa to call |
j | /ʒ/ | mo jlefa heir | |
/d͡ʒ/ | this is an alternative to the fricative /ʒ/ | ho ja to eat | |
k | /kʼ/ | unaspirated: skill | boikarabelo responsibility |
kh | /kʰ/ | fully aspirated: kill; occurring mostly in old loanwords from Nguni languages and in ideophones | lekhokho the part of the pap that remains baked to the pot after cooking |
kg | /x/ | sekgo spider | |
/k͡xʰ/ | alternative to the velar fricative | kgale a long time ago | |
l | /l/ | never occurs before close vowels (/i/ or /u/), where it becomes /d/ | selepe axe |
m | /m/ | ho mamaretsa to glue | |
n | /n/ | lenaneo | |
ng | /ŋ/ | can occur initially | lengolo letter |
ny | /ɲ/ | as in Spanish el niño | ho nyala to marry |
o | /ʊ/ | like English put | potso query |
/o/ | As in French oiseau | pontsho proof | |
/ɔ/ | English: board | mongolo writing | |
p | /pʼ/ | unaspirated: spit | pitsa cooking pot |
ph | /pʰ/ | aspirated: pin | phuputso investigation |
pj | /pʃʼ/ | alternative tj | ho pjatla to cook well |
pjh | /pʃʰ/ | aspirated version of the above; alternative tjh | mpjhe ostrich |
q | /ǃ/ | radical (tenuis) | ho qoqa to chat |
qh | /ǃʰ/ | aspirated | leqheku an elderly person |
nq | /ᵑǃ/ | nasal; this is often simply pronounced as a radical click | ho nqosa to accuse |
r | /ʀ/ | soft Parisian-type r | moriri hair |
s | /s/ | Sesotho | |
sh | /ʃ/ | Moshweshwe Moshoeshoe I | |
t | /tʼ/ | unaspirated: stalk | botala greenness |
th | /tʰ/ | tharollo solution | |
tj | /t͡ʃʼ/ | ntja dog | |
tjh | /t͡ʃʰ/ | ho ntjhafatsa to renew | |
tl | /t͡ɬʼ/ | ho tlatsa to fill | |
tlh | /t͡ɬʰ/ | occurs only as a nasalized form of hl or as an alternative to it | tlhaho nature |
ts | /t͡sʼ/ | ho tsokotsa to rinse | |
tsh | /t͡sʰ/ | aspirated | ho tshoha to become frightened |
u | /u/ | As in English boot | tumo fame |
w | /w/ | sewa epidemic | |
y | /j/ | ho tsamaya to walk |
Read more about this topic: Sotho Orthography
Famous quotes containing the word alphabet:
“Roger Thornhill: Youre police, arent you. Or is it FBI?
Professor: FBI, CIA, OIwere all in the same alphabet soup.”
—Ernest Lehman (b.1920)