Surinamese society is one of the most multilingual in the world. Dutch is the sole official language,[1] and is the language of education, government, business and the media. Over 60 percent of the population speak it as a mother tongue,[16] and most of the rest speak it as a second language. In 2004, Suriname became an associate member of the Dutch Language Union.[17] It is the only Dutch-, and one of the two non Romance-speaking countries in South America.
In Paramaribo, Dutch is the main home language in two-thirds of households.[18] The recognition of "Surinaams-Nederlands" ("Surinamese Dutch") as a natiolect equal to "Nederlands-Nederlands" ("Dutch Dutch") and "Vlaams-Nederlands" ("Flemish Dutch") was expressed in 2009 by the publication of the Woordenboek Surinaams Nederlands (Surinamese Dutch Dictionary).[19] Only in the interior of Suriname is Dutch seldom used.
Sranan Tongo, a local creole language originally spoken by the Creole population group, is the most widely used language in the streets and often interchangeably with Dutch depending on the formality of the setting.[20]
Surinamese Hindi or Sarnami, a dialect of Bhojpuri, is the third-most used language, spoken by the descendants of South Asian contract workers from then British India. Javanese is used by the descendants of Javanese contract workers. The Maroon languages, somewhat intelligible with Sranan Tongo, include Saramaka, Paramakan, Ndyuka, Aukan, Kwinti and Matawai. Amerindian languages, spoken by Amerindians, include Carib and Arawak. Hakka and Cantonese are spoken by the descendants of the Chinese contract (koelie, coolie) workers. Mandarin is spoken by some few recent Chinese immigrants. English, Spanish and Portuguese are also used. Spanish and Portuguese are spoken by Latin American residents and their descendants and sometimes also taught in schools.
The public discourse about Suriname's languages is a part of an ongoing debate about the country's national identity.[20] While Dutch is perceived as a remnant of colonialism by some,[20] the use of the popular Sranan became associated with nationalist politics after its public use by former dictator Dési Bouterse in the 1980s,[20] and groups descended from escaped slaves might resent it.[20] Some propose to change the national language to English, so as to improve links to the Caribbean and North America, or to Spanish, as a nod to Suriname's location in South America, although it has no Spanish-speaking neighbours
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In Paramaribo, Dutch is the main home language in two-thirds of households.[18] The recognition of "Surinaams-Nederlands" ("Surinamese Dutch") as a natiolect equal to "Nederlands-Nederlands" ("Dutch Dutch") and "Vlaams-Nederlands" ("Flemish Dutch") was expressed in 2009 by the publication of the Woordenboek Surinaams Nederlands (Surinamese Dutch Dictionary).[19] Only in the interior of Suriname is Dutch seldom used.
Sranan Tongo, a local creole language originally spoken by the Creole population group, is the most widely used language in the streets and often interchangeably with Dutch depending on the formality of the setting.[20]
Surinamese Hindi or Sarnami, a dialect of Bhojpuri, is the third-most used language, spoken by the descendants of South Asian contract workers from then British India. Javanese is used by the descendants of Javanese contract workers. The Maroon languages, somewhat intelligible with Sranan Tongo, include Saramaka, Paramakan, Ndyuka, Aukan, Kwinti and Matawai. Amerindian languages, spoken by Amerindians, include Carib and Arawak. Hakka and Cantonese are spoken by the descendants of the Chinese contract (koelie, coolie) workers. Mandarin is spoken by some few recent Chinese immigrants. English, Spanish and Portuguese are also used. Spanish and Portuguese are spoken by Latin American residents and their descendants and sometimes also taught in schools.
The public discourse about Suriname's languages is a part of an ongoing debate about the country's national identity.[20] While Dutch is perceived as a remnant of colonialism by some,[20] the use of the popular Sranan became associated with nationalist politics after its public use by former dictator Dési Bouterse in the 1980s,[20] and groups descended from escaped slaves might resent it.[20] Some propose to change the national language to English, so as to improve links to the Caribbean and North America, or to Spanish, as a nod to Suriname's location in South America, although it has no Spanish-speaking neighbours
live results
bingo