Words and word division: A study of some orthographical problems in the writing systems of the Nguni and Sotho languages

Abstract

In this article a number of orthographical problems concerning word division in the writing systems of the Nguni and Sotho languages are investigated. It would seem that words in these languages are not always divided in a consistent manner, thus unnecessarily complicating the writing of these languages. The problem is further enhanced by the fact that none of the officially recognized rules regarding word division is motivated and usually very little guidance is given by the various language boards in this regard. The aim of this article is therefore to investigate some of the seemingly inconsistent cases of word division found in the writing systems of the various Nguni and Sotho languages. In the case of the three Nguni languages involved this was done with reference to the Dokean principle of word division governing the division of words in these languages, whilst the lack of such a principle in the Sotho languages made it necessary to employ other criteria in terms of which the validity of these inconsistencies could be judged.