[Company name]
AFL2601
Assignment 2
Semester 2
2024
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED ANSWERS
,AFL2601 Assignment 2 Semester 2 2024
QUESTION 1: SOCIO-HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN
LANGUAGES
1.1 List the nine official indigenous South African Languages, and critically
discuss why these languages can be classified as a ‘language family’ on their
own. (13)
1.2 Does Afrikaans form part of indigenous South African languages? Give
reasons for your answer. (2)
1.3 Demonstrate language zone in your province of residence, and how the
standard language has been chosen or selected. (5) /20
1.1 Nine Official Indigenous South African Languages
The nine official indigenous South African languages are:
1. IsiZulu
2. IsiXhosa
3. IsiNdebele
4. Sesotho
5. Setswana
6. Sepedi (Northern Sotho)
7. Siswati
, 8. Tshivenda
9. Xitsonga
Classification as a 'Language Family'
These languages can be classified as a 'language family' on their own due to
the following reasons:
• Bantu Origin: All nine languages belong to the Bantu language family,
which is a subgroup of the larger Niger-Congo language family. They
share a common linguistic ancestry.
• Phonetic Similarities: They have similar phonetic structures, including
the use of click sounds (notably in IsiXhosa and IsiZulu), which are rare
in other language families.
• Grammatical Structures: These languages have comparable
grammatical structures, such as noun classes that affect agreement and
verb conjugations.
• Lexical Similarities: There are significant lexical overlaps among these
languages, meaning they share many common words or roots.
• Cultural and Historical Ties: The languages reflect shared cultural and
historical experiences of the Bantu-speaking people in South Africa,
including traditions, folklore, and oral histories.
• Mutual Intelligibility: While not fully mutually intelligible, speakers of
these languages often find it easier to learn and understand each
other’s languages due to structural and lexical similarities.
AFL2601
Assignment 2
Semester 2
2024
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED ANSWERS
,AFL2601 Assignment 2 Semester 2 2024
QUESTION 1: SOCIO-HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN
LANGUAGES
1.1 List the nine official indigenous South African Languages, and critically
discuss why these languages can be classified as a ‘language family’ on their
own. (13)
1.2 Does Afrikaans form part of indigenous South African languages? Give
reasons for your answer. (2)
1.3 Demonstrate language zone in your province of residence, and how the
standard language has been chosen or selected. (5) /20
1.1 Nine Official Indigenous South African Languages
The nine official indigenous South African languages are:
1. IsiZulu
2. IsiXhosa
3. IsiNdebele
4. Sesotho
5. Setswana
6. Sepedi (Northern Sotho)
7. Siswati
, 8. Tshivenda
9. Xitsonga
Classification as a 'Language Family'
These languages can be classified as a 'language family' on their own due to
the following reasons:
• Bantu Origin: All nine languages belong to the Bantu language family,
which is a subgroup of the larger Niger-Congo language family. They
share a common linguistic ancestry.
• Phonetic Similarities: They have similar phonetic structures, including
the use of click sounds (notably in IsiXhosa and IsiZulu), which are rare
in other language families.
• Grammatical Structures: These languages have comparable
grammatical structures, such as noun classes that affect agreement and
verb conjugations.
• Lexical Similarities: There are significant lexical overlaps among these
languages, meaning they share many common words or roots.
• Cultural and Historical Ties: The languages reflect shared cultural and
historical experiences of the Bantu-speaking people in South Africa,
including traditions, folklore, and oral histories.
• Mutual Intelligibility: While not fully mutually intelligible, speakers of
these languages often find it easier to learn and understand each
other’s languages due to structural and lexical similarities.
