In the remote Daliwe valley of southern Lesotho, a remarkable linguistic revival is underway. The endangered language of SiPhuthi, spoken by just a few thousand people in parts of Lesotho and South Africa’s Eastern Cape, is undergoing a remarkable resurgence, thanks to the tireless efforts of linguists and local activists.
Sheena Shah, a British linguist, and her German colleague Matthias Brenzinger have been travelling regularly to Daliwe since 2016, working with local interpreters and community members to document and preserve SiPhuthi. Their work has already resulted in the creation of a dictionary, a Bible translation, and the official recognition of SiPhuthi as an official language of Lesotho, alongside Xhosa and sign language.
The journey has not been an easy one. When the researchers first arrived in the region, they found only a handful of elderly SiPhuthi speakers, and many people were unaware of the language or reluctant to admit they spoke it. But in the Daliwe valley, home to around 1,000 people, the researchers found children actively using the language, a sign of its resilience.
“We really wanted not to have any agenda before this trip, because we thought it’s also important to gain trust,” said Shah, now a researcher at the University of Hamburg.
Through their work, Shah and Brenzinger have become members of Libadla le baPhuthi, a local association campaigning for the official recognition and political representation of the SiPhuthi community. Their efforts have paid off, as SiPhuthi was granted official language status in Lesotho in August, a significant milestone in the language’s revival.
However, the fight is not over. SiPhuthi remains endangered outside of the Daliwe valley, threatened by the dominance of Sesotho, the national language of Lesotho, and Xhosa across the border in South Africa. Linguists argue that language death is a tragedy, as each language represents a unique way of seeing, understanding, and living that should be preserved.
Bongani Peete, a teacher at Daliwe primary school, expressed his regret for having to punish children for speaking SiPhuthi, as mandated by the school’s rules. “I feel so bad,” he said, adding that he would no longer do so now that SiPhuthi is an official language.
The journey to revive SiPhuthi is far from over, but the dedication and passion of the linguists, activists, and community members in Daliwe valley have already achieved remarkable results. As the language gains official recognition and resources, the hope is that SiPhuthi will continue to thrive and be passed down to future generations, preserving a unique part of Lesotho’s cultural heritage.