Republic of Suriname. 435,000 (1995). Literacy rate 65% to 95%. Information mainly from SIL 1995. Christian, Hindu, Muslim, traditional religion, secular, Baha'i. Blind population 1,300 (1982 WCE). Deaf institutions: 1. Data accuracy estimate: A2. The number of languages listed for Surinam is 16.
AKURIO (AKOERIO, AKURI, AKURIJO, AKURIYO, AKULIYO, WAMA, WAYARICURI, OYARICOULET, TRIOMETESEM, TRIOMETESEN) [AKO] 40 to 50 (1977 WT). Southeast jungle. Carib, Northern, East-West Guiana, Wama. Related to, but not inherently intelligible with, Trió. All but one group is living with the Trió, becoming bilingual in Trió. Contacted in 1969. Dialects or related languages: Urukuyana, Kumayena. Nearly extinct.
ARAWAK (LOKONO, AROWAK) [ARW] 700 speakers out of 2,000 in the ethnic group in Surinam; 1,500 speakers (1984) out of 15,000 in the ethnic group in Guyana (1990 Forte); 150 to 200 in French Guiana; a few in Venezuela; 2,400 total speakers. Scattered locations across the north of Surinam. Arawakan, Maipuran, Northern Maipuran, Caribbean. Reported to be used only by the elderly in Surinam and Guyana. The young people use Sranan. Dictionary. 25% to 50% literate. Bible portions 1850-1978. Survey needed.
AUKAANS (NDJUKÁ, NJUKÁ, NDYUKÁ, "DJUKA", "DJOEKA", AUKAN, OKANISI) [DJK] 25,000 or more in both countries, including 1,000 to 2,000 Aluku, 2,000 to 3,000 Paramaccan (1991 L. Shanks SIL); 6,000 to 10,000 in French Guiana (1990 UN). Eastern along the Marowijne and Tapanahony rivers, northeastern along the Cottica River. Speakers of Aluku are along the French Guiana border and in French Guiana. Speakers of Paramaccan are in northeast Surinam. Refugees are in Paramaribo and French Guiana. Creole, English based, Atlantic, Surinam, Djuka. Dialects: ALUKU (ALOEKOE, BONI), PARAMACCAN. The society was formed by escaped slaves. Subsistence and economy is Amerindian, social culture and religion are West African. Aluku has more French influence than Paramaccan does. Any spelling of Ndyuka without the initial nasal is considered derogatory. 'Aukan' is English, 'Aukaans' is Dutch. Grammar. 15% to 25% literate. Typology: tonal. Traditional religion, Christian. Bible portions 1975-1987. Work in progress.
CHINESE, HAKKA [HAK] 6,000 in Surinam out of an ethnic group of 12,000 Chinese, including Yue; 25,725,000 in China; 34,000,000 in all countries (1995 WA). Also in Guyana, Malaysia, other countries. Sino-Tibetan, Chinese. Bible 1916. NT 1883-1993. Bible portions 1860-1995.
DUTCH [DUT] 1,000 or more in Surinam (1977); 100,000 second language speakers in Surinam (1990 UBS); 20,000,000 to 21,000,000 in all countries. Indo-European, Germanic, West, Continental, Low, Dutch. National language. Bible 1522-1988. NT 1480-1992. Bible portions 1477-1986.
ENGLISH [ENG] 322,000,000 in all countries (1995 WA). Coastal area and western. Indo-European, Germanic, West, North Sea, English. Used increasingly in commerce. Bible 1535-1989. NT 1525-1985. Bible portions 1530-1987.
GUYANESE (CREOLESE, GUYANESE CREOLE) [GYN] 50,000 in Surinam (1986 SIL); 650,000 possible speakers in Guyana. May be some in French Guiana. Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Southern. No official status, but an important spoken language. 25% to 50% literate. Survey needed.
HINDI, CARIBBEAN (SARNAMI HINDI, HINDUSTANI, AILI GAILI) [HNS] 150,000 in Surinam, about 38% of population (1986); 45,000 in Trinidad and Tobago (1986); 2,997 in Belize; 195,000 total. Coastal region. Nearly extinct in Guyana. No speakers in French Guiana. Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Eastern zone, Bihari. Closer to Bhojpuri and Awadhi than to Hindi. It has loans from Sranan, Dutch, and English. Dutch is used as second language. There are monolingual speakers. 50% to 75% literate. Hindu, Muslim. Bible portions 1980-1993. Work in progress.
JAVANESE, CARIBBEAN (SURINAM JAVANESE) [JVN] 60,000 in Surinam, about 15% of population (1986). Coastal area. Also in French Guiana. Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Western Malayo-Polynesian, Sundic, Javanese. Descended from plantation workers brought from Java in 1890. Significantly different from the Javanese of Indonesia. Trial edition of dictionary printed 1992. 50% to 75% literate. Muslim, traditional religion. Bible portions 1985-1992. Work in progress.
KALIHNA (CARIB, CARIBE, CARIÑA, KALINYA, GALIBÍ, MARAWORNO) [CRB] 2,500 in Surinam (1989 SIL); 475 or more in Guyana; 1,200 in French Guiana; 100 or fewer in Brazil (1991); 4,000 to 5,000 in Venezuela (1978 J.C. Mosonyi); 10,000 in all countries (1991 SIL). Various locations along the north coast. The eastern dialect in Surinam is primarily in the Albina area and in French Guiana, Brazil, and Venezuela; the western dialect is in the central and western areas of Surinam and in Guyana. Carib, Northern, Galibi. Dialects: MURATO (MYRATO, WESTERN CARIB), TYREWUJU (EASTERN CARIB). In some areas the language is used by all ages. The eastern dialect is the prestige dialect in Surinam. Speakers of the central dialect are reported to be bilingual and switching to Sranan. Dictionary. Grammar. 25% to 50% literate. Work in progress.
KWINTI [KWW] 200 to 500 (1982 SIL). North central, along the Coppename River, upstream from the Carib villages Sabana and Cornelis Kondre. Creole, English based, Atlantic, Surinam, Djuka. Further removed from Aukaans than Aluku and Paramaccan. Probably needs literature adapted from Aukaans. Traditional religion. Survey needed.
SARAMACCAN [SRM] 23,000 in Surinam including 1,000 Matawari (1995 N. Glock SIL); 3,000 in French Guiana (1994 SIL); 26,000 total. Central, along Saramacca and upper Surinam rivers. Refugees are in Paramaribo and French Guiana. Creole, English based, Atlantic, Surinam, Saramaccan. Dialect: MATAWARI (MATAWAI, MATUARI, MATOEWARI). A creole with Portuguese influences; Ian Hancock classifies it as Portuguese based rather than English based. Linguistic influences from KiKongo (Hancock 1988). 20% or more of the lexicon has an African component. A Bush Negro ethnic group with background similar to the Aukaans. 15% to 25% literate. Typology: tonal. Traditional religion. NT 1991. Bible portions 1974-1985.
SRANAN (SRANAN TONGO, TAKI-TAKI, SURINAAMS, SURINAMESE, SURINAM CREOLE ENGLISH) [SRN] 120,000 or more first language speakers in Surinam or 30% of the population (1993 SIL), 400,000 including second language speakers (1993); 225,000 in the Netherlands (1993 Johnstone); 300,000 or more in all countries. Mainly in Paramaribo and along the coast. Some also in the Netherlands Antilles. Creole, English based, Atlantic, Surinam. Some literature. The lingua franca of 80% of the population of the country, including the Hindustanis, Javanese, Chinese, American Indians, and Bush Negroes. Similar to Aucaans. Also has many similarities to Krio of Sierra Leone. 25% to 50% literate. Language of wider communication. Christian, traditional religion. NT 1829-1846. Bible portions 1966-1987. Work in progress.
TRIÓ (TIRIÓ) [TRI] 800 in Surinam (1977 WIM); 329 in Brazil (1995 AMTB); 1,130 in both countries. South central, villages of Tepoe and Alalapadu. Carib, Northern, East-West Guiana, Wayana-Trio. 25% to 50% literate. NT 1979. Bible portions 1974.
WARAO (WARRAU, GUARAO, GUARAUNO) [WBA] A very small number of older individuals in Surinam and the Oreala, Guyana border area; 15,000 in Venezuela (1975). Near Guyana border. Language Isolate. They speak Guyanese in Surinam and Guyana. NT 1974. Bible portions 1960-1967.
WAYANA (OAYANA, WAJANA, UAIANA, OYANA, OIANA, ALUKUYANA, UPURUI, ROUCOUYENNE) [WAY] 600 in Surinam; 150 in Brazil; 200 in French Guiana (1977 WT); 950 total. Villages in southeastern Surinam. Carib, Northern, East-West Guiana, Wayana-Trio. 25% to 50% literate. NT 1979. Bible portions 1970.
Part of the Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F. Grimes, Editor.
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