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
31 core words in Aukan (Ndyuka)
Water
watra
/watra/
Fire
faya
/faja/
Sun
son
/soŋ/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Star
sitari
/siˈtari/
Mother
mma
/mːa/
Father
tata
/tata/
I
mi
/mi/
You
yu
/ju/
Name
nen
/nɛn/
Eye
ai
/ai/
Hand
ana
/ana/
Heart
ati
/ati/
Love
lobi
/lobi/
Tree
bon
/boŋ/
House
osu
/osu/
Dog
dagu
/daɡu/
Cat
poesi
/pusi/
Eat
nyan
/ɲaŋ/
Drink
diingi
/diːŋi/
One
wan
/wan/
Two
tu
/tu/
Hello
fa yu de
/fa ju de/
Thank you
gaantangi
/ɡaːntaŋi/
Good
boon
/boːŋ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole languages
| Meaning | Aukan (Ndyuka) | Sranan Tongo | Krio | Bislama | Nigerian Pidgin | Pijin | Tok Pisin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | watra /watra/ | watra /watra/ | wata /ˈwata/ | wota /wota/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | wata /wata/ | wara /waɾa/ |
| Fire | faya /faja/ | faya /faja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | faea /faea/ | faya /faja/ | faea /faja/ | paia /paja/ |
| Sun | son /soŋ/ | son /son/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | sọn /sɔn/ | san /san/ | san /san/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ |
| Star | sitari /siˈtari/ | stari /ˈstari/ | star /staː/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ |
| Mother | mma /mːa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | A /a/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | you /ju/ | iu /iu/ | yu /ju/ |
| Name | nen /nɛn/ | nen /nɛn/ | nem /nɛm/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nɛm/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ |
| Eye | ai /ai/ | ai /ai/ | ay /aj/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aɪ/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ |
| Hand | ana /ana/ | anu /anu/ | an /an/ | han /han/ | hand /hand/ | han /han/ | han /han/ |
| Heart | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | at /at/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | hat /hat/ | bel /bel/ |
| Love | lobi /lobi/ | lobi /lobi/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | laekem /laekem/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lavem /lavem/ | laikim /lajkim/ |
| Tree | bon /boŋ/ | bon /boŋ/ | tik /tik/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tɾi/ | tri /tri/ | diwai /diwaj/ |
| House | osu /osu/ | oso /oso/ | os /ɔs/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ |
| Dog | dagu /daɡu/ | dagu /daɡu/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dogi /doɡi/ | dok /dok/ |
| Cat | poesi /pusi/ | poesi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | puskat /puskat/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Eat | nyan /ɲaŋ/ | nyan /ɲan/ | it /it/ | kakae /kakae/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ |
| Drink | diingi /diːŋi/ | dringi /driŋi/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanfala /wanfala/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ |
| Two | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ |
| Hello | fa yu de /fa ju de/ | odi /odi/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | halo /halo/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ |
| Thank you | gaantangi /ɡaːntaŋi/ | grantangi /ɡrantaŋi/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | tenki /tɛnki/ | tagio /taɡio/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ |
| Good | boon /boːŋ/ | bun /bun/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡud/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.