Introduction

As indicated in the previous chapters, the Khoisan family group had a long and deep relationship with both Sesotho and its ancestors. This chapter aims to outline the ways in which this long relationship has affected the structure of Sesotho. The main focus of the chapter is to uncover the Khoisan elements found in Sesotho and the eras in which these elements were incorporated.

The Timeline of Contact with the Khoisan Languages

The Khoisan elements found in Sesotho were borrowed during different times. Some elements were borrowed during the eras of Sesotho's ancestors, while others were incorporated into Sesotho after its divergence from the common ancestor of the Sotho-Tswana languages. Broadly speaking, the time-line for the incorporation of Khoisan elements into the grammars of Sesotho and its ancestors can be divided into three significant periods, namely: The Proto-South Eastern Bantu (PSEB) era; the era of the common ancestor of the Sotho-Tswana languages, Proto-Sotho (PS); and the era of Sesotho.

As indicated in Chapter 2, the PSEB era occurred during the first half of the first millennium AD. During this period, the group of Bantu-speaking people migrated from the Great Lakes Region and settled in the region south of the Zambezi River (see Chapter 2). Upon their arrival in this region, the Bantu-speaking people found some groups of Southern African Khoisan already living there (Ehret 1972). The Bantu-speaking people intermingled and traded with the more numerous Khoisan people they found in the region. Also, the Bantu-speaking people borrowed many ideas that were useful for surviving in the new environment from the native communities (Ehret 2008).