Tsotsitaal ulimi abahumushela kulo ethathwe ezihlukahlukene ngezilimi okuxubile ikakhulu akhulunywa emalokishini of Gauteng isifundazwe (ezifana eSoweto ), kodwa nakwezinye agglomerations wonke eNingizimu Afrika .Tsotsi kuyinto Sesotho, Pedi noma IsiTswana isitsotsi Ligama linye esikhundleni "Thug" noma "isigebengu" noma "uyisigebengu", mhlawumbe kusukela Isenzo "lotsa ho" "alole", ogama incazelo kushintshiwe ezikhathini zanamuhla ukufaka "ukuze con "; noma kusuka empukeni ye -tsetse, njengoba ulimi lwalwaziwa okokuqala  njengoFlytaal, yize i- flaai isho nokuthi "okupholile" noma "okuhlakaniphile emgwaqweni".Igama elithi taal ngesiBhunu lisho "ulimi". I-tsotsitaal yakhelwe phezu kohlelo lolimi olulodwa noma lwezilimi eziningi, lapho amagama angeziwe kusuka kwezinye izilimi noma amagama athile akhiwe umphakathi wezikhulumi engezwa.Kungumsebenzi waphakade wokuxubeka kolimi, wokushintsha ulimi, nowokuqanjwa kwamagama . I tsotsitaal mkhuba usuka nomunye ezihlukahlukene eyaziwa ngokuthi Flaaitaal noma Flytaal, bese Tsotsitaal, okuyinto kwaduma ngaphansi kwaleli gama yokugcina elokishini freehold ka eSophiatown, entshonalanga neGoli, ngo-1940 futhi 1950s. I-Tsotsitaal, inhlobonhlobo yoqobo, isuselwa kusiBhunu, lapho ekuqaleni kwanezelwa khona amagama esiTswana, namatemu kamuva avela esiZulwini nakwezinye izilimi zaseNingizimu Afrika.I-Tsotsitaal yasakazeka kuqala njengolimi lobugebengu, njengoba yayinamandla okuqinisekisa imfihlo enkulumweni: ekuqaleni kwakuyizigebengu kuphela ezazikuqonda.