Trans-Atlantic patterns: the relexification of locative constructions in Sranan

Abstract

Sranan and the other creoles of Suriname have long been noted for their use of postpositions in the expression of spatial relations. The use of postpositions, some of which are derived from English words for body-parts, is one of the more conspicuous features pointing towards substrate influence in Sranan. Beyond this visible African presence, the grammar of spatial relations in Sranan contains many more features that suggest a diffusion from Africa, and to be more precise, from the Gbe languages, as well as Western Bantu (Kikongo). The affinities of Sranan with these African languages/language families can be traced in the semantics of individual locative elements. The concept of pattern relexification can explain the behaviour of Sranan locative elements because it makes allowance for differences between Sranan and the substrate languages in the behaviour of individual items. The relexification of patterns involves the transfer of lexical properties of individual forms plus their relational properties. A central part of the argument for pattern relexification is that Niger-Congo substrate patterns manifest a large degree of homogeneity, and that this probably facilitated the relexification in Sranan of morphosyntactic blue-prints or skeletons.