Tlhalošontši ya mongwalo: Go ngwala seo se sa tšweletšego molaetša ka tshwanelo

Abstract

Bontši bja baithuti ba maleme a Bathobaso ga bo tšee mongwalo go ba ye nngwe ya dithutwana tše bohlokwa tša maleme. Ka fao barutwana le batho ba bangwe ba go kgona go bala le go ngwala ga ba sa na le taba le thutwana ye ya mongwalo. Seo se dira gore go be le mabošaedi a mmalwa go akaretšwa a mopeleto, a tšhomišo ya maswaodikga gammogo le mabošaedi a go kgaogantšha goba go kgomagantšha mantšu ka phošo ge go ngwalwa. Mabošaedi a a mongwalo ka dinako tše dingwe a tswala tlhalošo yeo e sa emelwago fao go ka hwetšwago gore motho o ngwadile seo a bego a sa se šupe. Maikemišetšo a taodišwana ye ke ao a latelago: go hlaloša gore tlhalošontši ya mongwalo ke eng, go ntšhetša nyanyeng tšeo di hlolago tlhalošontši ya mongwalo le go lemoša batho bohlokwa bja go ngwala molaetša woo ba nyakago go o tšweletša ka maleba. Tlhalošontši ya mongwalo gantši e tlišwa ke go se šomiše maswaodikga ka tshwanelo le go kgomagantšha goba go kgaogantšha mantšu ka mokgwa wa bošaedi. Go efoga tlhalošontši ya mohuta wo, go bohlokwa go latela melawana yeo e beilwego ge go ngwalwa.

English Title: Orthographic ambiguity: Writing the unmeant

English Abstract

Many scholars of African languages ignore orthography as an important aspect of linguistics. As a result, students and other literate speakers of the language tend to push it to the periphery. This leads to careless punctuation, faulty division of words and unintentionally wrong spelling of words that confuse the meaning. This orthographic ignorance sometimes leads to an unintended meaning, where one writes the unmeant. This article attempts to bring this confusion of ‘writing the unmeant’ to light by exploring how proper use of punctuation marks and word division can contribute to resolving ambiguity in the written Northern Sotho language. Orthographic ambiguity is, in most cases, caused by careless punctuation and faulty division of words. To avoid this, accepted orthography should be followed at all times.