{{Short description|Braille alphabets used in South Africa}} Several [[braille]] alphabets are used in South Africa. For English, [[Unified English Braille]] has been adopted. Nine other languages have been written in braille: [[Afrikaans]], [[Southern Ndebele language|Ndebele]], [[Sesotho language|Sesotho]], [[Northern Sotho language|Northern Sotho]], [[Swazi language|Swazi]], [[Tswana language|Tswana]], [[Venda language|Venda]], [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]], and [[Zulu language|Zulu]].<ref>''Ethnologue'' 17 reports that [[Tsonga language|Tsonga]] is also written in braille.</ref> All print alphabets are restricted to the [[ISO basic Latin alphabet|basic Latin alphabet]], with diacritics in some cases; the braille alphabets are likewise [[basic braille]] with additional letters to render the diacritics.
:{|class=wikitable |+Basic braille alphabet |- align=center |{{Braille cell|type=image|a}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|b}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|c}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|d}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|e}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|f}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|g}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|h}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|i}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|j}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|k}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|l}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|m}} |- align=center |a||b||c||d||e||f||g||h||i||j||k||l||m |- align=center |{{Braille cell|type=image|n}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|o}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|p}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|q}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|r}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|s}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|t}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|u}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|v}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|w}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|x}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|y}} |{{Braille cell|type=image|z}} |- align=center |n||o||p||q||r||s||t||u||v||w||x||y||z |}
The Nguni languages – Ndebele, Swazi, Xhosa, and Zulu – have no diacritics and will not be discussed further. The braille diacritics are shared by South African languages and are described in the sections that follow.
Punctuation for all South African braille alphabets is as in [[English Braille]].
== Afrikaans Braille == {{Infobox writing system | name = Afrikaans Braille | type = alphabet | typedesc = | time = | languages = [[Afrikaans]] | fam1 = [[Braille]] | fam2 = South African | print = [[Afrikaans alphabet]] | creator = | sample = | imagesize = | note = none }}
Afrikaans has braille cells for [[Acute accent|acute]], {{bc|4}}; [[Grave accent|grave]], {{bc|45|16}}; [[circumflex]], {{bc|45}}; and [[diaeresis (diacritic)|diaeresis]], {{bc|56}}: :{{bc|4|a}} ''á'', {{bc|4|e}} ''é'', {{bc|4|i}} ''í'', {{bc|4|o}} ''ó'', {{bc|4|u}} ''ú'', {{bc|4|y}} ''ý'' :{{bc|45|16|a}} ''à'', {{bc|45|16|e}} ''è'' :{{bc|45|e}} ''ê'', {{bc|45|i}} ''î'', {{bc|45|o}} ''ô'', {{bc|45|u}} ''û'' :{{bc|56|e}} ''ë'', {{bc|56|i}} ''ï'', {{bc|56|o}} ''ö'', {{bc|56|u}} ''ü''
== Sesotho and Tswana Braille == {{Infobox writing system | name = Sotho Braille | altname = Tswana Braille | type = alphabet | typedesc = | time = | languages = [[Sesotho language|Sesotho]], [[Northern Sotho language|Northern Sotho]], [[Tswana language|Tswana]] | fam1 = [[Braille]] | fam2 = South African | print = [[Sesotho alphabet]]<br> [[Tswana alphabet]] | creator = | sample = | imagesize = | note = none }}
Sesotho and Tswana treat the [[caron]] (haček) as an acute: :{{bc|45|e}} ''ê'', {{bc|45|o}} ''ô'', :{{bc|4|s}} ''š''
== Venda Braille == {{Infobox writing system | name = Venda Braille | type = alphabet | typedesc = | time = | languages = [[Venda language|Venda]] | fam1 = [[Braille]] | fam2 = South African | creator = | sample = | imagesize = | note = none }}
Venda has a unique letter, {{bc|46}}, for the subscript circumflex, and treats ''ṅ'' as acute: :{{bc|46|d}} ''ḓ'', {{bc|46|l}} ''ḽ'', {{bc|46|n}} ''ṋ'', {{bc|4|n}} ''ṅ'', {{bc|46|t}} ''ṱ''
==References==
<references /> *UNESCO (2013) [https://www.pharmabraille.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/World-Braille-Usage-Third-Edition-1.pdf World Braille Usage], 3rd edition.
{{Braille}}
[[Category:French-ordered braille alphabets]] [[Category:Afrikaans]] [[Category:Nguni languages]] [[Category:Sotho-Tswana languages]]