Standard

LS

Kingdom of Lesotho

Lesotho

Summary

Official Name
Kingdom of Lesotho
Population
2,194,000
Principal Languages
English, Southern Sotho
Literacy Rate
79% (2015 World Factbook)
International Conventions
ACHPR (1987), CPPDCE (2006), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
General References
Bendor-Samuel and Hartell 1989, Welmers 1971a
Deaf Population
2,000
Language Counts
The number of established languages listed for Lesotho is 5. All are living languages. Of these, 3 are indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 2 are institutional and 3 are developing. Also listed is 1 unestablished language.

Languages

English eng
Users: 503,700 in Lesotho, all users. L1 users: 3,700 in Lesotho (2017 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 500,000 (Crystal 2003a). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Constitution, Article 7(2)). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Hindi hin
Users: 2,200 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Western Hindi, Hindustani
Phuthi ssw
Mohale’s Hoek, Qacha’s Nek, Quthing, and Thaba-Tseka districts. Users: 52,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Sephuthi, Síphùthì Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Nguni (S.43)
Sotho, Southern sot
Users: 1,760,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f). Total users in all countries: 13,524,700 (as L1: 5,624,700; as L2: 7,900,000). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Constitution, Article 3(1)). Alternate Names: Sisutho, Souto, Suthu, Suto Autonym: Sesotho Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Sotho-Tswana (S.33)
Xhosa xho
Qacha’s Nek district: villages near Sinxondo, Tele Valley, and Tosing in Sebapala valley central mountains and inland; Quthing district: south of Quthing city. Users: 24,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Isixhosa Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Nguni (S.41)
Zulu zul
Butha-Buthe and Leribe districts: Caledonspoort border post on north border. Users: 328,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Isizulu Classification: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, S, Nguni (S.42)

Languages by Status

    English
    [eng] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Constitution, Article 7(2)). 503,700 in Lesotho, all users. L1 users: 3,700 in Lesotho (2017 J. Leclerc). L2 users: 500,000 (Crystal 2003a).
    Sotho, Southern
    [sot] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Constitution, Article 3(1)). 1,760,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f). Total users in all countries: 13,524,700 (as L1: 5,624,700; as L2: 7,900,000).
    Phuthi
    [ssw] 5* (Dispersed). 52,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f).
    Xhosa
    [xho] 5* (Dispersed). 24,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f).
    Zulu
    [zul] 5* (Dispersed). 328,000 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f).
    Hindi
    [hin] Unestablished. 2,200 in Lesotho (Leclerc 2017f).

Maps

  • Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland

Graphs

  • Language Vitality Profile

  • Language Status Profile