Sranan Tongo
English-based creole
Sranan Tongo (lit. 'Suriname tongue', also Sranantongo, Sranan, Surinaams) is the English-lexified creole of Suriname and the country's main inter-ethnic lingua franca, with ~600K speakers. Although English is its primary lexifier (reflecting 17th-century English colonization 1651-1667 before Dutch took over), substantial substrate from West African Gbe (Fon, Ewe), Akan and Kongo languages distinguishes it from Caribbean English creoles, plus heavy Dutch and Portuguese loans from later layers. Sranan, formerly stigmatized as 'Negerengels' under colonial rule, is now widely used in music, poetry (Trefossa, Dobru), parliament and informally throughout Suriname, despite Dutch retaining sole official status.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Sranan Tongo
Water
watra
/watra/
Fire
faya
/faja/
Sun
son
/son/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
papa
/papa/
Eat
nyan
/ɲan/
Drink
dringi
/driŋi/
Love
lobi
/lobi/
Heart
ati
/ati/
Tree
bon
/boŋ/
House
oso
/oso/
Dog
dagu
/daɡu/
Cat
poesi
/pusi/
Hand
anu
/anu/
Eye
ai
/ai/
Hello
odi
/odi/
Thank you
grantangi
/ɡrantaŋi/
One
wan
/wan/
Good
bun
/bun/
Sources
- Ethnologue: srn
- Smith (1987) The Genesis of the Creole Languages of Suriname
- Adamson & Smith (2003) Sranan
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole languages
| Meaning | Sranan Tongo | Aukan (Ndyuka) | 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 /son/ | son /soŋ/ | 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 | mama /mama/ | mma /mːa/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | tata /tata/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ |
| Eat | nyan /ɲan/ | nyan /ɲaŋ/ | kakae /kakae/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | it /it/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ |
| Drink | dringi /driŋi/ | diingi /diːŋi/ | 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 | oso /oso/ | osu /osu/ | 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 | anu /anu/ | ana /ana/ | 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 | odi /odi/ | fa yu de /fa ju de/ | halo /halo/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | halo /halo/ | wis wei /wis wej/ |
| Thank you | grantangi /ɡrantaŋi/ | gaantangi /ɡaːntaŋi/ | 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 | bun /bun/ | boon /boːŋ/ | gud /ɡud/ | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ |
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