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The Historical and Linguistic Overview of Saramaccan Language and Society in Suriname

This overview delves into the intriguing history and linguistic structure of the Saramaccan language, spoken by the Saramaccan tribe in Suriname. It explores the English settlement in 1651, subsequent influences from African, Portuguese, and Caribbean Plantation English, and the sociolinguistic dynamics involving mass slave escapes. The examination includes an analysis of phonological features, tone systems, and morphology, revealing a rich tapestry of language shaped by its complex history and social reality, highlighting dialectal minimal variation and the unique copula system.

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The Historical and Linguistic Overview of Saramaccan Language and Society in Suriname

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  1. Saramaccan Andrew Schinkowski

  2. Historical Background • 1651 – English settlement of Suriname • c. 1665 – Sranan creolized from Caribbean Plantation English • 1665 – Jewish settlers arrive from Cayenne • 1667 – Suriname surrendered to the Dutch • 1668-1675 – English population (and slaves) leave • c. 1680 – Sranan partly relexified to Portuguese • 1690 – Mass escape of slaves (Saramacca) • 1712 – Mass escape of slaves (Ndyuka)

  3. Suriname overview • Early settlers were already familiar with the plantation system (and had already developed pidgins) • Relatively small ratio of slaves to Europeans

  4. Sociolinguistic Background • 25,000 members of the Saramaccan tribe and 2,000 members of the Matawi tribe • 3 attested dialects: Upper and Lower Suriname River Dialects and Matawi dialect • Very little variation noticed between dialects and populations going as far back as 18th century missionary work

  5. Sociolinguistic Background (cont.) • Isolation continues to a fair degree even today “states within a state” • Between period of escape and peace treaty with the Dutch (1762/1767) addition of escaped slaves rare • Complex attitudes towards outsiders • Superstrates: English, Portuguse* • Substrates: Fon, Kikongo

  6. Linguistic Structure - Phonology • Consonants

  7. Linguistic Structure - Phonology • Vowels Matching set of nasal vowels as well Although Portuguese has nasal vowels, appearance is more likely from African language roots 3-way length contrast for vowels

  8. Linguistic Structure - Phonology • Tone • System of high, low and unspecified • For European-derived words a high tone will appear on the primarily accented element, with the rest unspecified • Stone sitónu • For African-derived words, a tone is specified for each element • Additionally, there are tone rules

  9. Lexicon • English – 50% • Portuguese – 35% • African/Amerindian – 15%

  10. Morphology and Syntax • SVO head initial language that allows fronting • Reduplicated Adjectives Dímiíidénákináki. ‘The child is beat up.’ Dímiíináki. ‘The child was beaten.’ • Copula system de – verbal status can only appear with PP and AP-complements TMA-marking is done with this form • da – pronominal status TMA-marking is blocked with this form

  11. Morphology and Syntax • Copula system Complements- Kone de/*dasiki-siki ‘Kone is sick.” Kone COP sick-sick TMA marking- Etnel bi de wan malenge-ma Etnel PAST COP one lazy-MA ‘Etnel was/will be a lazy guy.” *Etnel bi damalenge-ma Etnel PAST COP lazy-ma Etnel PAST/IRR COP lazy guy.

  12. Morphology and Syntax • V(P)-nominalization with ‘–ma’ hondi-ma ‘hunter’ hunt-AG bebe-daan-ma ‘drunkard’ drink-rum-AG siki-n’-en-edi-ma ‘insane person’ sick-LOC-his-head-AG tja-boto-go-a-wosu-ma ‘pilot’ carry-boat-go-LOC-house-AG

  13. Bibliography • Bakker, Peter, Smith, Norval, & Veenstra, Tonjes. (1995). Saramaccan. In J. Arends, P. Muysken, N. Smith (Ed.), Pidgins and Creoles: an introduction (pp. 165-178). Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins North America. • Carlin, Eithne B., & Arends, Jacques (Ed.). (2002). Atlas of the Languages of Suriname. KoninklijkInstituutvoorTaal-, Land- en Volkenkunde: Ian Randle Publishers. • Migge, Bettina. (2003). Creole Formation as Language Contact: The Case of the Suriname Creoles. Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins North America. • Price, Richard. (1975). Saramaka Social Structure: Analysis of a Maroon Society in Suriname. Rio Piedras, PR: Institute of Caribbean Studies.

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