Okanisi tongo
Aukan (Ndyuka)
English-based creole
Aukan (Ndyuka, Okanisi) is the principal Maroon Creole of the Eastern Suriname Maroon group, descended from West African Akan/Gbe-speaking enslaved populations who escaped Dutch plantations in the 18th century and established autonomous communities in the rainforest of the Tapanahony River. Eastern Maroon Creoles include Ndyuka, Aluku (alu), and Paramaccan (pmk), all derived from a 17th-18th century English-based plantation creole that the Maroons preserved in geographic isolation while Sranan Tongo (srn) urbanized in coastal Suriname. Distinct from Sranan in phonology (preservation of /ɲ/, longer vowels), morphology, and substantial Akan vocabulary. The Maroon kingdom maintained independence from Dutch colonial rule until 1760 (treaty), preserving cultural and linguistic distinctness.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Aukan (Ndyuka)
Water
watra
/watra/
Fire
faya
/faja/
Sun
son
/soŋ/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Mother
mma
/mːa/
Father
tata
/tata/
Eat
nyan
/ɲaŋ/
Drink
diingi
/diːŋi/
Love
lobi
/lobi/
Heart
ati
/ati/
Tree
bon
/boŋ/
House
osu
/osu/
Dog
dagu
/daɡu/
Cat
poesi
/pusi/
Hand
ana
/ana/
Eye
ai
/ai/
Hello
fa yu de
/fa ju de/
Thank you
gaantangi
/ɡaːntaŋi/
One
wan
/wan/
Good
boon
/boːŋ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole languages
| Meaning | Aukan (Ndyuka) | Sranan Tongo | Bislama | Nigerian Pidgin | Krio | Pijin | Torres Strait Creole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | watra /watra/ | watra /watra/ | wota /wota/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | wata /ˈwata/ | wata /wata/ | woda /woda/ |
| Fire | faya /faja/ | faya /faja/ | faea /faea/ | faya /faja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | faea /faja/ | paya /paja/ |
| Sun | son /soŋ/ | son /son/ | san /san/ | sọn /sɔn/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ |
| Mother | mma /mːa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ |
| Eat | nyan /ɲaŋ/ | nyan /ɲan/ | kakae /kakae/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | it /it/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ |
| Drink | diingi /diːŋi/ | dringi /driŋi/ | dring /driŋ/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | dringk /dʒɾiŋk/ |
| Love | lobi /lobi/ | lobi /lobi/ | laekem /laekem/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | lavem /lavem/ | lavem /lavɛm/ |
| Heart | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | at /at/ | hat /hat/ | hart /hart/ |
| Tree | bon /boŋ/ | bon /boŋ/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tɾi/ | tik /tik/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tʃɾi/ |
| House | osu /osu/ | oso /oso/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ | os /ɔs/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ |
| Dog | dagu /daɡu/ | dagu /daɡu/ | dog /doɡ/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dogi /doɡi/ | dog /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | poesi /pusi/ | poesi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | pus /pus/ | puskat /puskat/ | pusiket /pusiket/ |
| Hand | ana /ana/ | anu /anu/ | han /han/ | hand /hand/ | an /an/ | han /han/ | han /han/ |
| Eye | ai /ai/ | ai /ai/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aɪ/ | ay /aj/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ |
| Hello | fa yu de /fa ju de/ | odi /odi/ | halo /halo/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | halo /halo/ | wis wei /wis wej/ |
| Thank you | gaantangi /ɡaːntaŋi/ | grantangi /ɡrantaŋi/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | tanx /taŋks/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | tagio /taɡio/ | eso /ɛso/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanfala /wanfala/ | wan /wan/ |
| Good | boon /boːŋ/ | bun /bun/ | gud /ɡud/ | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ |
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