Stories

  1. Translating academic abstracts into Setswana: A practical guideTranslating an academic abstract into Setswana requires more than finding rough equivalents for technical vocabulary. The abstract compresses an entire study…
  2. The lexicography of Setswana interjections: Ehe and AowaInterjections are small linguistic acts with large social consequences. They can halt a conversation, signal that a speaker has understood, express sympathy,…
  3. Building A Parallel Corpus Of Setswana And English NewsA parallel corpus brings together texts in two languages so that researchers can examine how the same event, idea, or statement is expressed across them. For…
  4. Why Setswana Has No Direct Equivalent for PrivacySetswana does not lack vocabulary for keeping matters to oneself. It can talk about secrecy, private affairs and information that should not circulate. What it…
  5. Kgosi: chief, authority and change in BotswanaIn modern Botswana, kgosi can name a traditional chief, a symbol of leadership, or a way of describing a forceful person. It appears in formal titles,…
  6. Analyzing Setswana parliamentary language using a concordancerParliamentary language is rarely as straightforward as a transcript of policy. Members frame proposals, challenge opponents, quote authorities, and appeal to…
  7. Translating Setswana Humour Across LanguagesThe Challenge of Translating Humor: Setswana Jokes in English is more than a matter of replacing words. A joke depends on timing, shared knowledge, sound…
  8. Setswana terms for traditional healers: ngaka and its variantsIn Setswana, ngaka is the best-known word for a traditional healer, but the English translation is not quite as simple as it looks. The role can include…
  9. Creating a Setswana Dictionary for Mobile Phones in AustraliaA reliable Setswana dictionary for phones addresses a practical need: people need to confirm a word’s meaning quickly while reading a message, preparing a…
  10. The Etymology of Mogolwane in Southern BantuMogolwane is a Setswana word for an elder, a senior person or a leader, depending on the social setting. Its interest lies in the way it joins age with…