Residents’ perceptions on Sepitori, a mixed language spoken in greater Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This article investigates, from the residents’ viewpoint, perceptions on the role and usage of Sepitori, a mixed language which originated in greater Pretoria (South Africa). Based on the thematic coding of two focus group interviews (18 participants in total), our data show that although Sepitori acts as a salient urban marker, important differences are observed between insiders (brought up in greater Pretoria) and outsiders (brought up outside greater Pretoria). While insiders corroborated that Sepitori is the L1 of many residents regardless of their age or social status, outsiders tended to regard Sepitori as any combination of languages associated with stereotypical features of gangsterism and Tsotsitaal. Signi?cantly, testimonies underlined a prevalent use of this variety in a growing number of social contexts due to its important role in facilitating intergroup communication.

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