The official
Lesotho language is English. The other languages of Lesotho are Sesotho, Xhosa and Zulu. Sesotho is also an official language of the country besides English. This language belongs to the Sotho language group. Numerous affixes are used in Sesotho language. This language has its origin in Niger-Congo language family.
Xhosa language is spoken by about 18,000 people of Lesotho. A section of people inhabiting the Quthing District of Lesotho speak in Xhosa. Around 2, 48,000 people speak the Zulu language. Phuthi is another language spoken by about 43,000 people of the country. Sesotho became the official language of Lesotho before English. This language has got much prominence in Lesotho since majority of the people use this one.
Some other
Lesotho languages are as follows:
- San
- Afrikaan
- Khoe
- European
- Indian
- Nguni languages like Sethepu, Sesolo, Sephuthi and Setelele.
When the Nguni people immigrated in Lesotho, they learnt the Sesotho language. It continued to be the sole official language of Lesotho till the British took over the administration of Lesotho in 1868. After that, English was declared as the official language of the place. However, after Lesotho gained its independence in 1966, both the languages were made official. English is now spoken by the elite class in Lesotho. The educational institutes in Lesotho use Sesotho as the medium of instruction for those belonging to the age group of 6 to 9. For the primary, secondary and tertiary level, English is the medium of instruction. Sesotho can be studied as a separate subject after entering the national university.
