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In the Surinamese creole language Sranan, verbs in finite clauses that lack overt TMA-marking are often considered to be ambiguous between past and present interpretations (depending on the lexical aspect of the verb involved) or analyzed as having a perfective value. We claim that these verbs are in fact zero-marked, and we investigate the various uses of this zero expression in relation to context and lexical aspect on the basis of corpus data and native speaker elicitations. It is shown that existing analyses do not cover and unify all the various uses of the construction. We propose, as an alternative, to regard the zero form as present perfective marker, whereby tense and aspect are conceived of as fundamentally epistemic categories, in line with Langacker (1991). This combination of present tense and perfective aspect, which is regarded as infelicitous in typological studies of tense and aspect (cf. the 'present perfective paradox', Malchukov 2009), gives rise to the various interpretations associated with zero. However, in all of its uses, zero still indicates that, at the most basic level, a situation belongs to the speaker's conception of 'immediate reality' (her domain of 'inclusion'). This basic 'presentness' distinguishes zero from the past-tense marker ben, which implies dissociation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact that the Dutch language had on the Eastern Maroon Creole language in the Netherlands' colony of Suriname from the mid 17th century through the 20th century. The article discusses and compares the lexicon of the Dutch and Eastern Maroon languages. An overview of the influence of Sranantongo (Sranan language) on the Ndyuka dialect is provided. The Surinamese Maroon radio station Koyeba, including the Maroon, English and Dutch languages used in its radio broadcasts, are also discussed.

Examines the formation of the Sranan Tongo creole language in Surinam using the SWARM 2.1.1 computer modeling technique. Occurrence of creolization if the invented system becomes the native language of the speech community; Hypotheses for how biological linguistic properties and social contact contribute to the formation of creole languages; Analysis of the country's historical records.