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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Americas > Suriname > Saramaccan

Saramaccan

A language of Suriname

ISO 639-3: srm

Population	23,000 in Suriname (1995 SIL). 1,000 Matawari. Population total all countries: 26,000.
Region	Central, along Saramacca and upper Suriname rivers. Refugees in Paramaribo. Also in French Guiana.
Language map	French Guiana and Suriname
Dialects	Matawari (Matawai, Matuari, Matoewari). Ian Hancock classifies it as Portuguese based rather than English. Linguistic influences from Kongo [kng] (Hancock 1988). 20% or more of the lexicon has an African component.
Classification	Creole, English based
Language use	All domains. All ages.
Language development	Literacy rate in L1: Below 1%. Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1991–1999.
Writing system	Latin script.
Comments	A Bush Negro ethnic group with background similar to the Ndyuka. Tonal, one tone per vowel. Traditional religion.

Also spoken in:

French Guiana

Language name	Saramaccan
Population	3,000 in French Guiana (1994).
Language map	French Guiana and Suriname

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

Glock, Naomi and Stephen H. Levinsohn. 1981. "Structure of the Saramaccan folktale."

Glock, Naomi, editor. 1996. Holansi-Saamaka wöutubuku (Nederlands-Saramaccaans woordenboek).

Glock, Naomi. 1972. "Clause and sentence in Saramaccan."

Glock, Naomi. 1972. "Role structure in Saramaccan verbs."  

Glock, Naomi. 1983. "Extending the use of Saramaccan in Suriname."

Glock, Naomi. 1986. "The use of reported speech in Saramaccan discourse."  

Grimes, Joseph E. and Naomi Glock. 1970. "A Saramaccan narrative pattern."

Grimes, Joseph E., editor. 1972. Languages of the Guianas.  

Huttar, George L. 2003. "Scales of basicness in semantic domains and their application to creolization."

Levinsohn, Stephen H., editor. 1981. Discourse studies in Djuka and Saramaccan.

Lowe, Ivan. 1986. "Information distribution in hortatory discourse."

Payne, Doris L. 1990. Review of: Pragmatics in non-Western perspective, George L. Huttar and Kenneth J. Gregerson, editors.

Rountree, Catherine. 1994. "You should dance on one foot: the Saramaccans and wisdom literature."

Rountree, S. Catherine and Naomi Glock. 1982. Saramaccan for beginners (a pedagogical grammar of the Saramaccan language).

Rountree, S. Catherine, Jajo Asodanoe and Naomi Glock, editors. 2000. Saramaccan-English word list.

Rountree, S. Catherine. 1972. "Saramaccan tone in relation to intonation and grammar."

Rountree, S. Catherine. 1972. "The phonological structure of stems in Saramaccan."  

Rountree, S. Catherine. 1981. "Saramaccan personal narrative."

Rountree, S. Catherine. 1992. Saramaccan grammar sketch.

Vernacular Publications

Anasi ku dee kau (Anansi en de koeien). 1984.

Anasi ta-pii toobi. 1974.

Baaa ku baaa, mati ku mati. 1974.

Bunu ku hogi 1, 2. 1974.

Dee dii womi. 1974.

Dee mbeti u matu 1, 2. 1974.

Dee teeja a liba (De sterren in de lucht). 1983.

Di duumi u gaama Aboikoni. 1997.

Di faansi köndë waka u donisi. 1974.

Di woto fu Guuni (Het verhaal van Guuni). 1984.

Di woto u dee dii pau. 1979.

Dii goonliba oto. 1982.

Fa fii sa ko sabi oloisi juu (Een boekje over klokkijken). 1983.

Fufuu anbunu. 1974.

Fufuu, huku, ku taanga. 1974.

Hafu pasa: Hafu an pasa 1, 2. 1974.

Höndima oto. 1978.

Kalëndë 1984. 1984.

Kalëndë 1985. 1985.

Kalëndë 1986. 1986.

Kalëndë 1988. 1988.

Kalëndë 1989. 1989.

Kalënde 1990. 1990.

Köni miti wogi. 1975.

Koontu köndë oto. 1976.

Lesi buku a Saamaka töngö (Saramaccaans Leesboek) deel 1, 2. 1993.

Lesi buku a Saamaka töngö, deel 1, 2: Buku u heepi dee sëmbë dee ta-lei sëmbë lesi ku dee. 1978.

Lesi buku a Saamaka töngö. 1976.

Mbeti u liba. 1974.

Mbeti u matu. 1974.

Mi kë kondëën da i. 1983.

Mötë buku. 1982.

Ook u kunt Saramaccaans lezen en schrijven!. 1980.

Peipei oto: dee oto aki, de sikifi de a di alfa centrum a Bëndëköndë, Pikilio. 2000.

Politiki. 1974.

Saamaka oto 1, 2. 1974.

Seti u konda soni. 1992.

Seti u lei lesi. 1992.

Sö de si ku sö de jei. 1987.

Sö mi si ku sö mi jei. 1974.

Soni miti Seema. 1975.

Suti oto fii piki hafu. 1984.

Taku hatima oto. 1974.

Totomboti. 1982.

Tu gaan soni u goonliba. 1987.

Waka ku fusutan! (Loop voorzichtig!). 1983.

Wakama buku. 1979.

Wakama buku: een reisboekje in het: Saramaccaans, Sranan Tongo, Nederlands, Engels, Frans. 2000.

Wakama oto. 1974.

Wanlö bakaa kontu 1, 2. 1974.

Wanlö fesiten oto. 1974.

Wanlö kontu fu Anasi. 1978.

Wanlö Saamaka nöngö. 1974.

Wanlö suti oto a Saamaka töngö. 1974.