Setswana body words: cultural taboos and euphemismsSetswana names for body parts do more than label anatomy. They can express intimacy, insult, respect, embarrassment and group identity, so a translation that…
Why go nna has so many grammatical formsGo nna is commonly glossed as “to sit,” with “to stay,” “to remain,” and “to be at” covering related uses. That range sounds paradoxical until lexical meaning…
Developing a Setswana corpus of folk talesEvery folk tale carries more than a plot. It records social relationships, inherited vocabulary, places and the imaginative logic of a community. A Setswana…
Setswana agricultural terms: From temo to pulaAgricultural language records how people relate to land. In Setswana, temo points to cultivation and growing food, while pula names the rain on which that work…
Botho and humanity in modern SetswanaBotho is one of the most resonant words in modern Setswana, yet its English translations can blur important distinctions. At its core, botho names humanity or…