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Sotho dialect

Sepedi

Also known as: Northern Sotho, Pedi

The Sotho-Tswana variety of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in north-eastern South Africa. One of the eleven official languages of South Africa; mutually distinct enough from Sesotho to be treated separately.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Sepedi?

Sepedi is a dialect of the Sotho language.

Where is Sepedi spoken?

Sepedi is primarily spoken in South Africa.

Which region is Sepedi associated with?

Sepedi is part of the East & Southern Africa region on DialectAtlas.

Is Sepedi known by other names?

Yes — Sepedi is also referred to as Northern Sotho, Pedi.

What are the other dialects of Sotho?

Sotho also includes Sesotho. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.

Other Sotho dialects

See on the atlas →
Sesotho

Southern Sotho · Sotho

A Sotho-Tswana Bantu language and the national language of Lesotho. Also one of the official languages of South Africa, where it is widely spoken in the Free State and Gauteng.

Nearby dialects

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Tshivenda

150 km away

A Bantu language of the Soutpansberg region in Limpopo, South Africa, and adjoining south-western Zimbabwe. One of the eleven official languages of South Africa; around 1.3 million speakers.

Tsonga

169 km away

A Bantu language of the Limpopo lowveld, spoken across north-eastern South Africa, southern Mozambique, and south-eastern Zimbabwe. Around 7 million speakers.

Urban Zulu

294 km away

The Zulu of South Africa's townships and major cities. Heavily code-mixed with English, Tsotsitaal, and other Bantu languages.

Setswana

368 km away

A Sotho-Tswana Bantu language and the national language of Botswana. Closely related to Sesotho, with substantial speaker communities in South Africa's North West and Northern Cape provinces.

Ndebele

425 km away

A Nguni Bantu language of south-western Zimbabwe, descended from a 19th-century offshoot of Zulu. Around 2 million speakers, centred on Bulawayo and Matabeleland.

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