Saamaka tongo
Saramaccan
English-based creole (mixed English/Portuguese lexicon, Akan/Gbe substrate)
Saramaccan is a maroon creole of Suriname spoken on the upper Suriname River by descendants of West African enslaved populations who escaped Dutch plantations in the 17th-18th centuries (the Saramaca treaty of 1762 secured their independence). Its mixed English/Portuguese lexicon is unusual among Atlantic creoles and reflects the Portuguese-colonized Caribbean origin of some enslaved laborers; both English and Portuguese contributions appear in basic vocabulary (e.g., "wáta" water from English, but "lúna" moon from Portuguese, "fáya" fire from Portuguese fogo). Saramaccan has gained academic prominence as a model for studying the role of substrate languages in creole genesis (Akan-Gbe substrate is highly influential, with Akan-derived tone, kinship terms, and sentence-final particles).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Saramaccan
Water
wáta
/wáta/
Fire
fáya
/fája/
Sun
masángi
/masáŋɡi/
Moon
lúna
/lúna/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
tata
/tata/
Eat
njá
/ɲá/
Drink
biíki
/biíki/
Love
lóbi
/lóbi/
Heart
hááti
/háːti/
Tree
páu
/páu/
House
wósu
/wósu/
Dog
dágu
/dáɡu/
Cat
mísi
/mísi/
Hand
mãũ
/mãũ/
Eye
ái
/ái/
Hello
kɔlɔkɔlɔ
/kɔlɔkɔlɔ/
Thank you
tángi
/táŋɡi/
One
wán
/wán/
Good
bunu
/bunu/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole (mixed English/Portuguese lexicon, Akan/Gbe substrate) languages
| Meaning | Saramaccan | Sranan Tongo | Aukan (Ndyuka) | Papiamento | Nigerian Pidgin | Bislama | Torres Strait Creole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wáta /wáta/ | watra /watra/ | watra /watra/ | awa /awa/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | wota /wota/ | woda /woda/ |
| Fire | fáya /fája/ | faya /faja/ | faya /faja/ | kandela /kandela/ | faya /faja/ | faea /faea/ | paya /paja/ |
| Sun | masángi /masáŋɡi/ | son /son/ | son /soŋ/ | solo /solo/ | sọn /sɔn/ | san /san/ | san /san/ |
| Moon | lúna /lúna/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | luna /luna/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mma /mːa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | tata /tata/ | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ |
| Eat | njá /ɲá/ | nyan /ɲan/ | nyan /ɲaŋ/ | kome /kome/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | kakae /kakae/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ |
| Drink | biíki /biíki/ | dringi /driŋi/ | diingi /diːŋi/ | bebe /bebe/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | dringk /dʒɾiŋk/ |
| Love | lóbi /lóbi/ | lobi /lobi/ | lobi /lobi/ | amor /amor/ | lọv /lɔv/ | laekem /laekem/ | lavem /lavɛm/ |
| Heart | hááti /háːti/ | ati /ati/ | ati /ati/ | kurason /kurason/ | hat /hat/ | bel /bel/ | hart /hart/ |
| Tree | páu /páu/ | bon /boŋ/ | bon /boŋ/ | palu /palu/ | tri /tɾi/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tʃɾi/ |
| House | wósu /wósu/ | oso /oso/ | osu /osu/ | kas /kas/ | haus /haʊs/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ |
| Dog | dágu /dáɡu/ | dagu /daɡu/ | dagu /daɡu/ | kacho /katʃo/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | mísi /mísi/ | poesi /pusi/ | poesi /pusi/ | pushi /puʃi/ | pus /pus/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusiket /pusiket/ |
| Hand | mãũ /mãũ/ | anu /anu/ | ana /ana/ | man /man/ | hand /hand/ | han /han/ | han /han/ |
| Eye | ái /ái/ | ai /ai/ | ai /ai/ | wowo /wowo/ | ai /aɪ/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ |
| Hello | kɔlɔkɔlɔ /kɔlɔkɔlɔ/ | odi /odi/ | fa yu de /fa ju de/ | bon dia /bon dia/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | halo /halo/ | wis wei /wis wej/ |
| Thank you | tángi /táŋɡi/ | grantangi /ɡrantaŋi/ | gaantangi /ɡaːntaŋi/ | danki /daŋki/ | tanx /taŋks/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | eso /ɛso/ |
| One | wán /wán/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | un /un/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ |
| Good | bunu /bunu/ | bun /bun/ | boon /boːŋ/ | bon /bon/ | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ |
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