The Jeliya catalogue uses Setswana / Setswana. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language as Tswana (tswa1253). Its ISO 639-3 code is tsn. [1]
Draft — awaiting native-speaker review
A Sotho-Tswana language used across Botswana and neighbouring countries.
Opening retained from the existing catalogue; awaiting editorial and speaker review.The Jeliya catalogue uses Setswana / Setswana. Glottolog indexes the corresponding language as Tswana (tswa1253). Its ISO 639-3 code is tsn. [1]
Glottolog associates this record with the following country codes: BW, NA, ZA, ZM, ZW. Catalogue locations do not enumerate diaspora or second-language use. [1]
No dated, scope-checked speaker estimate has been approved for this page.
The catalogue classification follows this sequence: Atlantic-Congo → Volta-Congo → Benue-Congo → Bantoid → Southern Bantoid → Narrow Bantu → East Bantu → Southern Bantu → Nuclear Southern Bantu → Dimsuffix Southern Bantu → Sotho-Tswana (S.30) → Western Sotho-Tswana → Central Sotho-Tswana. [1]
The Glottolog bibliography includes a linguistic description attributed to Truter, [Mr] 1801/02 and a more recent one attributed to Mistry, Karen S. and Gare, Grace 1987. These are publication dates, not language origins. [1]
Latin-based disjunctive spelling does not display every vowel or tone distinction. Keep a checked phonetic layer separate.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.PanSALB provides a national spelling and orthography resource collection. A language-specific rule, edition date and regional scope must be checked before it is applied to a learner’s answer. [2]
High/low tone and a richer vowel system than the five written vowel letters suggest; aspiration, ejectives and syllabic nasals are important.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.A reviewed alphabet, sound-by-sound IPA guide and reference recordings are still needed.
Awaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
SVO with noun-class concord, verb extensions and aspect distinctions. Grammatical units are often separated in writing.
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.A language-specific Grambank record is linked for comparison of grammatical features and their underlying references. Feature coding is an analytical resource; it is not a beginner explanation, a complete grammar or a substitute for a teacher’s review. [4]
Standard Setswana
Existing linguistic-map notes are planning material, not newly verified facts. A named reviewer and reference are still needed.Named child varieties in this record include Hurutshe, Kgatla, Kwena, Lete, Melete, Ngwaketse, Ngwatu, Rolong, Tawana, Thlaro, Tlahaping, Tlhaping. These labels do not select Jeliya’s teaching variety. [1]
An entry separates the headword, part of speech, senses and cited examples. A variant is another documented form; a synonym is a different word with a related meaning. Derived expressions can have their own entry. Follow source links and variety tags before using a form.
Search the everyday spelling and check tone-marked forms. ɛ, ɔ, ɲ and ŋ are letters, not removable accents. Search tolerance does not mean two spellings are the same word. Save an entry to keep its stable identity in your wordbook.
Open the dictionaryAwaiting a cited, language-specific contribution and speaker review.
Editorial adaptation: Jeliya
Language reviewer: awaiting appointment
Last revision: 10/12/2026
Harald Hammarström, Robert Forkel, Martin Haspelmath and Sebastian Bank
CC BY 4.0
Source checked: 10/12/2026Pan South African Language Board
Source checked: 10/12/2026Mistry, Karen S. and Gare, Grace 1987
Source checked: 10/12/2026