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Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| author | Masingi, Phuti Samuel |
| author2 | Huddlestone, Kate |
| author_browse | Huddlestone, Kate Masingi, Phuti Samuel |
| author_facet | Huddlestone, Kate Masingi, Phuti Samuel |
| author_sort | Masingi, Phuti Samuel |
| collection | Thesis |
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| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134697 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
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| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
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| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134697 Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach Masingi, Phuti Samuel Huddlestone, Kate Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. Northern Sotho language -- Morphosyntax Northern Sotho language -- Affixes Northern Sotho language -- Word formation Scrabble (Game) Word games Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Masingi, P. S. 2025. Northern Sotho Scrabble Adaptation: A morphosyntactic approach. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/af8366c2-4081-46ba-94be-012b97ca037b ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Scrabble is a popular word game revered for its entertainment, educational, competitive and language-preservation value (Voinov, 2010; Kobzeva, 2015). Although mainly played in English, Scrabble has been adapted into various languages, including French, Latin, Spanish and Tswana. These adaptations have primarily relied on the frequency distributions of letters in selected corpora to establish the point allocation and number of tiles for each letter in the Scrabble set. Unfortunately, this method generally neglects the distinct linguistic and morphosyntactic features of the target language, such as orthography and word-formation patterns. For instance, Bantu languages exhibit a high degree of agglutination, which entails the extensive use of affixation in word formation. This may have implications for the length and number of words possible in a game of Scrabble. The current study adapted Scrabble into Northern Sotho using a quantitative corpus analysis and a qualitative analysis of Northern Sotho affixes. Data for the study was sourced from an open-access Sepedi corpus from the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) website. The corpus was analysed using Wordsmith Tools (version 6). As with previous adaptations, the quantitative corpus analysis was used to determine the relative frequency of letters. The relative frequency was subsequently used to formulate a preliminary Scrabble set. The most frequent letters were assigned a higher number of tiles and fewer points, while the least frequent letters were assigned a lower number of tiles and more points. A, E and O were the most frequent letters, while F, U and J were the least frequent. To produce a theoretically grounded adaptation, an extensive analysis of Northern Sotho affixes and their constraints was conducted. This was situated against the background of a comprehensive description of various morphosyntactic aspects of Bantu languages in general. The constraints analysed include phonological changes during affixation, such a vowel and consonant elisions and insertions, vowel coalescence and glide formation. Since Scrabble does not permit altering the internal structure of a previously played word, affixes that can be attached to a nominal, verbal, adjectival or adverbal stem without phonological changes, such as the reciprocal and stative, were considered productive. An additional constraint is the inability of stems to function as independent words. In this case, most noun classes are restricted, as they generally attach to nominal stems that do not function as independent words. The noun class 10 di- is an exception to this restriction, as it can attach to nominal stems that function as independent words, making it highly productive in Scrabble. Subsequently, the productive affixes served as a basis for the increase and decrease of tiles and points for certain letters. The analysis of affixation patterns was used to revise the preliminary Scrabble set that was initially formulated through the corpus analysis. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Scrabble is ’n gewilde woordspeletjie wat vereer word vir sy vermaaklikheids-, opvoedkundige, mededingende en taalbewaringswaarde (Voinov, 2010; Kobzeva, 2015). Alhoewel Scrabble hoofsaaklik in Engels gespeel word, is dit in verskeie tale aangepas, insluitend Frans, Latyn, Spaans en Tswana. Hierdie aanpassings is hoofsaaklik gebaseer op die frekwensieverspreidings van letters in geselekteerde korpora om die punttoewysing en aantal teëls vir elke letter in die Scrabble-stel vas te stel. Ongelukkig verwaarloos hierdie metode oor die algemeen die onderskeie taalkundige en morfosintaktiese kenmerke van die teikentaal, soos ortografie en woordvorming. Bantoetale toon byvoorbeeld ’n hoë mate van agglutinasie, wat die uitgebreide gebruik van affiksasie in woordvorming behels. Dit kan implikasies hê vir die lengte en aantal woorde wat moontlik is in ’n Scrabble-speletjie. Die huidige studie het Scrabble in Noord-Sotho aangepas deur gebruik te maak van ’n kwantitatiewe korpusanalise en ’n kwalitatiewe analise van Noord-Sotho-affikse. Data vir die studie is verkry van ’n ooptoegang Sepedi korpus vanaf die SADiLaR webwerf. Die korpus is ontleed met behulp van Wordsmith Tools (weergawe 6). Soos met vorige aanpassings, is die kwantitatiewe korpusanalise gebruik om die relatiewe frekwensie van letters te bepaal. Die relatiewe frekwensie is vervolgens gebruik om ’n voorlopige Scrabble-stel te formuleer. Die mees gereelde letters is ’n hoër aantal teëls en minder punte toegeken, terwyl die minste gereelde letters ’n laer aantal teëls en meer punte toegeken is. A, E en O is die mees gereelde letters, terwyl F, U en J die minste gereeld is. Om ’n teoreties gegronde aanpassing te lewer, is ’n uitgebreide analise van Noord-Sothoaffikse en hul beperkings uitgevoer. Dit is teen die agtergrond van 'n omvattende beskrywing van verskeie morfosintaktiese aspekte van Bantoetale in die algemeen gesetel. Die beperkings wat ontleed is, sluit in fonologiese veranderinge tydens affiksasie, soos vokaal- en konsonant-elisies en -invoegings, vokaalkoalisensie en glyvorming. Aangesien Scrabble nie toelaat dat die interne struktuur van ’n voorheen gespeelde woord verander word nie, is affikse wat sonder fonologiese veranderinge aan ’n nominale, verbale, byvoeglike naamwoord- of bywoordelike stam gekoppel kan word, as produktief beskou. ’n Bykomende beperking is die onvermoë van stamme om as onafhanklike woorde te funksioneer. In hierdie geval is die meeste naamwoordklasse beperk, aangesien hulle gewoonlik aan nominale stamme heg wat nie as onafhanklike woorde funksioneer nie. Die naamwoord klas 10 di- is ’n uitsondering op hierdie beperking, aangesien dit aan nominale stamme kan heg wat as onafhanklike woorde funksioneer, wat dit hoogs produktief in Scrabble maak. Vervolgens het die produktiewe affikse as basis gedien vir die toename en afname van teëls en punte vir sekere letters. Die ontleding van affiksasiepatrone is gebruik om die voorlopige Scrabble-stel wat aanvanklik deur die corpus-analise geformuleer is, te hersien. KAKARETŠO: Scrabble ke papadi ye e tumilego ya mantšu yeo e hlompšhago ka baka la boithabišo bja yona, thuto, phadišano le bohlokwa bja yona bja go boloka leleme (Voinov, 2010; Kobzeva, 2015). Gaešita le ge e bapalwa kudu ka Seisemane, Scrabble e fetoletšwe malemeng a fapa-fapanego, go akaretša Sefora, Selatine, Sepaniši le Setswana. Ditokišo tše di ithekgile kudu ka kabo ya makga a ditokumente ka gare ga dikhophase tše di kgethilwego go hloma kabo ya dintlha le palo ya dithaele bakeng sa tlhaka ye nngwe le ye nngwe ka gare ga mokgobo wa Scrabble. Ka manyami, mokgwa wo ka kakaretšo o hlokomologa dika tše di fapanego tša leleme le tša popofokontšu tša leleme leo go bolelwago ka lona tše bjalo ka mongwalelo le mekgwa ya go bopa mantšu. Ka mohlala, maleme a Bantu a bontšha tekanyo e phagamego ya go kopanywa, yeo e akaretšago go dirišwa ga go kgomaretša ge go bopša mantšu. Se se ka ba le ditlamorago go botelele le palo ya mantšu papading ya Scrabble. Nyakišišo ya gona bjale e ile ya fetolela Scrabble ka Sesotho sa Leboa ka go diriša tshekatsheko ya bontši bja dingwalwa le tshekatsheko ya boleng bja dihlogwana le meselana tša Sesotho sa Leboa. Tshedimošo ya nyakišišo e be e etšwa go khophase ya Sepedi yeo e hwetšagalago ka bolokologi go tšwa go websaete ya SADiLaR. Khophase e ile ya hlahlobja ka go diriša Wordsmith Tools (mohuta wa 6). Go etša ge go be go le bjalo ka diphetolelo tša pele, go ile gwa dirišwa tshekatsheko ya bontši bja mangwalo bakeng sa go lekanyetša makga ao mangwalo a bego a romelwa ka ona. Ka morago go ile gwa dirišwa makga ao a tswalanago go hlama mokgobo wa pele wa Scrabble. Mangwalo ao a bego a tšwelela gantši a ile a abelwa palo ye kgolo ya dithaele le dintlha tše sego kae, mola mangwalo ao a bego a se gona gantši a ile a abelwa palo ye nyenyane ya dithaele le dintlha tše dintši. A, E, le O e be e le dithaele tše di tlwaelegilego kudu, mola F, U le J e be e le tše di sa tlwaelegago kudu. Go tšweletša phetošo yeo e thekgilwego ke teori, tshekatsheko ye e tseneletšego ya dihlogwana le meselana tša Sesotho sa Leboa le dithibelo tša tšona e ile ya dirwa. Se se be se thekgilwe ke tlhalošo ye e tseneletšego ya dibopego tša popofokontšu tša maleme a Bantu ka kakaretšo. Dithibelo tše di akaretša diphetogo tša modumo nakong ya go kgomaretša, go swana le go tlošwa le go tsenywa ga segalo, go kopana ga segalo le go bopša ga sekgoba. Ka ge papadi ya Scrabble e sa dumelele go fetoša sebopego sa ka gare sa lentšu leo le bego le bapalwa pejana, go be go lebelelwa go le kaone go diriša dihlogwana le meselana yeo e ka kgokaganywago le modu wa leina, wa lentšu, wa sekapolelo goba wa segalo ka ntle le diphetogo tša modumo, bjalo ka ledirani le lediragadi. Thibelo ye nngwe ke go se kgone ga dihlogwana go šoma e le mantšu a ikemetšego. Boemong bjo, bontši bja dihlopha tša maina di a lekanyetšwa ka ge ka kakaretšo di kgomaretše go diteng tša maina tšeo di sa šomego bjalo ka mantšu a ikemetšego. Legoro la leina 10 di- ke le le fapanego le šitišo ye ka ge le ka kgokagana le dihlogwana tša maina tšeo di šomago bjalo ka mantšu ao a ikemetšego, e lego seo se dirago gore e be le tšweletšo ye kgolo go Scrabble. Ka morago, dihlogwana le meselana tše di tšweletšago di ile tša šoma e le motheo wa go oketša le go fokotša dithaele le dintlha tša ditlhaka tše itšego. Tshekatsheko ya mekgwa ya go kgomaretša e dirišitšwe go fetoša mokgobo wa mathomo wa Scrabble wo mathomong o bego o hlamilwe ka go sekaseka khophase. Masters 2025-12-24T06:44:43Z 2025-12-24T06:44:43Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134697 en Stellenbosch University xviii, 158 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Northern Sotho language -- Morphosyntax Northern Sotho language -- Affixes Northern Sotho language -- Word formation Scrabble (Game) Word games Masingi, Phuti Samuel Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach |
| title | Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach |
| title_full | Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach |
| title_fullStr | Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach |
| title_short | Northern Sotho scrabble adaptation : a morphosyntactic approach |
| title_sort | northern sotho scrabble adaptation a morphosyntactic approach |
| topic | Northern Sotho language -- Morphosyntax Northern Sotho language -- Affixes Northern Sotho language -- Word formation Scrabble (Game) Word games |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134697 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT masingiphutisamuel northernsothoscrabbleadaptationamorphosyntacticapproach |