Sranan
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of Sranan
First recorded in 1950–55; from Sranan: literally, “Suriname (tongue)”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While many Surinamese happily speak English, I took the opportunity to try to learn a few words in Sranan Tongo while wading through the markets; the language’s flexibility and playfulness never failed to surprise me.
From New York Times • Sep. 16, 2011
Our blank stares prompted him to switch languages yet again, this time to Sranan Tongo, the extraordinarily playful Creole language that borrows from English, Dutch and Portuguese and is Suriname’s lingua franca.
From New York Times • Sep. 16, 2011
Many opt to bypass Dutch, the official language, communicating with customers and employees in Sranan Tongo, a Creole language that makes heavy use of English.
From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2011
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
