Summary
This dissertation contains a description of the historical development of some syntactic constructions in Sranan (a creole language of Suriname). The period under study begins around 1700 and ends around 1950. The sentence types discussed in this study are: copula constructions, comparatives, and cleft sentences. Data was obtained from historical sources, of which about half was written by native speakers; the authors of the other half of the texts were people who knew the language well, such as Moravian missionaries.
The data from this investigation leads to the conclusion that the creolization of Sranan was a gradual process, which extended far into the nineteenth century. This is important because up to now it was generally assumed - although without empirical support - that creolization is a quick process, which is completed within one or two generations. The importance of this conclusion is enhanced by the fact that the outcome of the present study is fully warranted by the historical-linguistic data. The conclusion is confirmed by historical-demographic data: in the supposedly formative period in the history of Sranan (1650-1700) there were simply not enough children present at the plantations to perform the creolization process.
The question arises whether the gradualist model of creolization is unique for Sranan or whether it is valid for other creoles as well. To answer this question a lot of diachronic research on creole languages is necessary. If the gradualist hypothesis would be confirmed for other creoles, this would necessitate an essential revision of the concept of ‘creolization’. In view of the fact that creoles are more and more often adduced to settle fundamental theoretical issues, this would not be without importance.
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