Sranan Tongo — English Dictionary

dagu n. dog. Canis familiaris (Canidae). Usage: Calling someone dagu is a big insult. From: Eng. Etym: dog .

fu naki dagu idiom. plenty, in abundance. Nyanyan ben de fu naki dagu. There was food in abundance. syn: bogobogo.

dagublat n. a type of green leafy vegetable, swamp cabbage. Ipomoea reptans (Convolvulaceae).

2) n. chewing dog louse. Trichodectes soorten/ species (O. Mallophaga).

daguwesneki n. boa constrictor. Boa constrictor (Boidae). Also known as gadosneki or papasneki.

dala n. (a coin or banknote for) 2 1/2 guilders, dollar. See table under: moni.

dalek ad. soon, directly, right away. Go sibi a oso. Dalek mama e kon. Go sweep the floor. Mother is coming soon. From: NL. Etym: dadelijk . Spelling variation: dâlek

dampu 1) n. steam, mist, vapor. Di a aleisi bigin kuku, wan dampu bigin komoto ini a patu. When the rice began to cook, steam started coming out of the pot. Te yu de na busikondre, yu kan si wan dampu te mamanten tapu a liba. When you are in the interior, you can see a mist hanging over the river in the mornings.

2) v. give off steam. Di mi fringi mi ai go ini a kukru, mi si wan patu e dampu tapu a faya. When I glanced into the kitchen, I saw a pot steaming on the fire.

3) n. stench, unpleasant smell. Di a puru a susu na en futu, wan dampu furu a heri foroisi. When he took off his shoes, an unpleasant odor filled the whole living room.

4) v. give off a foul odor. A gotro e dampu. The gutter is giving off a foul odor.

dangra 1) ad. difficult (to understand), confusing, perplexing. A tori dati dangra. Mi no ferstan en. That is a complicated situation. I don’t understand it. A man go na en basi nanga a tori san e dangra en. The man went to his boss with the matter that is difficult for him. ant: krin.

2) vt. confuse, bother (in the sense that it occupies your thoughts). Fa yu e sidon so? San e dangra yu ede? Why are you sitting there so? What’s bothering you?

dankidanki ad. please. Usage: Used to give a beseeching tone to the request. People prefer to use the word tangitangi. Morph: redup.

2) n. dance, dance party. Esde neti den birti hori wan dansi te leki musdei m'manten. Last night the neighbors had a dance party until the wee hours of the morning.

dati1 1) dem.prn. that, those. Luku a boi dape. Na a boi dati kon fufuru ini mi oso. Look at the boy there. That is the boy who came and stole from my house. See: disi.

2) dem.prn. emphasizes a personal pronoun. Yu si fa mi e bari yu. Yu dati mus luku bun nanga mi. You see how I’m warning you. You had better watch out (not to cross) me. Yu dati kan rei taksi ala dei, ma mi dati no man. You can pay to ride a taxi every day, but I can’t. Usage: it sometimes carries a threat with it.

3) interj. that’s it, that’s why (used as a rejoinder by someone to indicate agreement with what has been said).

dati2 1) compl. that. Den boi taki dati den o kon tamara baka. The boys said that they would come back tomorrow. Variant: taki2. Spelling variation: dat'

2) conj. that. A bus ben furu dati no wan mira ben man psa go na insei. The bus was so full that an ant couldn’t get in. syn: sodati; taki2.

datrasiki n. sicknesses that can be cured through medical treatment. See: nengresiki.

de1 1) v. to be, to exist, to be present. A owru de baka a doro. The machete is behind the door. See: na1.

2) aux.v. variant of e. Usage: church language.

de2 See main entry: e. aux.v. indicates that the action of the verb is in progress.

2) be alert, be on one’s guard. See main entry: de na ai.

de nanga krin ai be sober, able to think clearly, self-controlled. See main entry: de nanga krin ai.

dede1 1) v. die. Moro furu na den pikinnengre ben dede. It was mostly children who died ant: libi1. From: Eng. Etym: dead .

dede na watra v. Di a boto drai tapu, feifi sma dede na watra. When the boat capsized, five people drowned. See: sungu.

2) ad. dead. Birman trowe wan dede sneki na strati. The neighbor threw a dead snake into the street.

3) n. dead person; corpse, body. Mi e go kari sma fu kon opo a dede, mi e go beri a dede. I will call someone to pick up the dead person; I will bury the dead. Fosi den go na berpe, a dede o kon na oso. Before they go to the graveyard, the body will be brought to the house.

wasi dede idiom. refers to the washing of a corpse before it is dressed and placed in the coffin.

4) n. death. Wan dede de ini a famiri. There is a death in the family.

5) n. Death. Yu sabi suma tyari Dede kon na foto? Na Anansi. Do you know who brought Death to the city? It was Anansi. Death is sometimes personified as a character in folktales, and earlier also in the character Ba Fedi.

dede2 1) ad. dull, blunt. A nefi dede. Mi no man koti noti nanga en. That knife is dull. I can’t cut anything with it. ant: srapu.

2) ad. lame, unusable. Sensi di mi kisi a beroerte, a anu fu mi dede. Since I had a stroke, I can’t use my arm (lit: my arm is dead).

3) adj. dull, boring. A: Fa fu a dansi fu esde? B: A presi ben dede. A: How was the dance yesterday? B: It was boring.

dede-oso n. mourning service held at the house where the deceased lived until the time the body is buried. See: aitidei. Spelling variation: ded'oso

dedestrafu n. death penalty. Krutubakra gi a man dedestrafu fu di a kiri wan skowtu. The judge gave the man the death penalty because he killed a policeman.

degedege 1) v. wobble, totter. A wan sei futu fu a tafra syatu, dat' meki a e degedege. One of the table legs is short, that is why it wobbles.

2) v. doubt. Efu yu sabi tak' na disi yu mus du, dan yu mus du en. No degedege moro langa. If you know that you should do this, then do it. Don’t doubt any longer. Morph: redup. Variant: degredegre.

tra dei n. recently, a non-specific day in the past, the other day. Tra dei di mi ben go na wowoyo, mi lasi mi portmoni. The other day when I went to the market, I lost my wallet.

a tra dei fu en idiom. the next day. Di mi yere tak' a sani e seri moro bunkopu drape, mi go a tra dei fu en. When I heard that they were selling it cheaper there, I went the next day.

wan dei idiom. once, sometime, one day. Wan dei yu o si tak' mi abi leti. One day you will see that I am right. Wan dei di Anansi ben e waka ini a busi, a miti Sekrepatu. Once when Anansi was walking in the forest, he met Turtle. Mi o kon luku yu wan dei. I will come visit you sometime.

deibrede n. food for the day, daily bread. A e waka e suku wroko ala sei, nomo fu a kan feni en deibrede. He walks about looking for work everywhere just to find food for the day.

deibuku n. book of daily scripture texts published yearly by the Moravian Church.

deimoni n. wage for one day’s work. A deimoni san Savitri e kisi no sari fu gi den pikin fu en nyanyan. The daily wage that Savitri gets is not enough to feed her children.

deinen n. Name given to someone depending on which day of the week they were born. There are different names for men and women. (This name is used in rituals connected with the winti cult.). See: nen.

dek'ati n. courage, bravery. Yu mus abi dek'ati fu psa a sula dati. You must be brave to go through those rapids. syn: man-ati. See: lasi ati. Spelling variation: deki-ati

2) adj. swollen. Esde mi drai mi futu, dat' meki a deki tide. Yesterday I twisted my foot, that is why it is swollen today. syn: sweri2.

den1 prn. 3rd person plural subj, obj or poss pronoun (they, them, their, theirs). Di den man gwe na den kondre baka, den taki fu Sranan. When the people returned to their country, they spoke about Suriname.

den2 art. plural definite article. Den tu pikin fu mi lobi fu nyan bami. My two children love to eat bami (lit: The two children of mine...). See: a2; wan2; wantu.

denki 1) v. think. Den pikin fu dis' ten no e denki fara. The children these days don’t think ahead of time. Fa yu denki? What do you think? See: prakseri.

2) v. think about. Denki a tori. Think about the situation.

3) n. thought, idea. Disi na san mi e prakseri, san na yu denki? This is what I think, what are your thoughts? A e waka nanga a denki tak' a o tron datra. He walks around with the illusion that he will become a doctor,

desko 1) v. discriminate. A man disi e desko. A e teki soso hindustani na wroko. This man discriminates. He only hires Hindustanis.

2) n. discrimination. Yari langa den blakaman na Zuid Afrika ben feti a desko san den wetiman ben desko den. For years the black South Africans struggled against the discrimination they endured from the white men.

di 1) conj. when. Di mi ben kon suku yu esde, yu no ben de. When I came looking for you yesterday, you weren’t there. Usage: usually in past time. See: te1.

2) conj. while. Di mi ben e sribi, a fufuruman kon na ini a oso. While I was sleeping the thief came in the house. syn: aladi.

3) rel.prn. that, which, who. A man di gi mi a papira no taigi mi san fu du nanga en. The man who gave me the paper didn’t tell me what to do with it. See: san2.

4) conj. because. (pronunciation variant of fu di).

dia n. deer. (Cervidae). There are three species native to Suriname. spec: kuriaku; prasaradia; sabanadia.

teki diafutu idiom. go away quickly. Di den boi si a skowtu, den teki dia futu. When the boys saw the policeman, they took to their heels.

didon 1) v. lie down. A meisje e didon tapu a bedi e leisi. The girl is lying down on the bed reading. See: hari ... baka; rostu. Spelling variation: d'don

2) v. go to bed. Mi e go didon, yèrè. Tamara mi mu go na wroko. I’m going to bed. I’ve got to go to work tomorrow. syn: sribi.

didyonsro ad. just now (recent past). Didyonsro a bus kmopo fu dyaso. The bus just left here.

diki 1) vt. dig. Mi diki wan olo nanga wan skopu. I dug a hole with a shovel. See: krabu1.

diki puru v. gouge out, dig up. No diki den bromki puru na sei a gotro. Don’t dig up the flowers next to the ditch. Efu yu no diki a sika puru, yu kan lasi yu futu. If you don’t dig out the sandflea, you can lose your foot.

2) v. meddle. A man disi e diki ini mi tori. This man meddles in my affairs.

diki wan soro pick at a scab, scratch open a wound. See main entry: diki wan soro.

dimusudei ad. early this morning (before daybreak). Spelling variation: dimus'dei

2) n. someone who prepares a body for burial.

dini 1) v. serve. A president mus dini a folku, ma a man disi e suku en eigi bun nomo. The president should serve the people, but this man only looks after his own interests. See: knekti.

2) v. worship, serve. Yu no kan dini Gado makandra nanga den gudu fu grontapu. You cannot serve God along with the riches of the world.

dip'bere adj. secretive, able to keep a secret. A uma dipibere. A sabi kibri en tori. The woman is secretive. She keeps things to herself. Spelling variation: dipibere

2) ad. difficult to understand (as in a language), secret or important (as in a story), profound (as in thoughts).

3) v. dip. Te Syori e nyan en buskutu, a e dipi en ini en fayawatra. When Syori eats toast, he dips it in his tea. syn: dopu2.

4) n. hidden meaning. A tori disi abi wan dipi. This story has a hidden meaning.

dir'diri adj. expensive, precious. A dagu nyan mi dir'diri susu. The dog chewed up the shoes that I paid so much for. (dir’diri is used to indicate that the person paid a lot for the item and that it is considered precious or not easily replaceable). Morph: redup.

diri 1) adj. expensive. A abi wan diri linga na en finga. She has an expensive ring on her finger. ant: bunkopu.

2) adv. a lot. Yu o pai diri fu wan oto, yèrè. You’ll pay a lot for a car.

3) ad. When referring to a person it means that you have not seen them for a long time. Baya, yu kon diri! Omeni langa mi no si yu? You’ve made yourself scarce. How long has it been since I last saw you?

disi dem.prn. this, these. A susu disi takru. These shoes are ugly. A disi yu mu puru. This one you need to remove. Dis' wiki mi o kon. I’ll come this week. Usage: The dem. pn. normally follows the noun. disi (in the form of: dis’) may also occur before the noun. See: dati1. From: Eng. Etym: this .

dis'ten n. nowadays. Den pikin dis'ten lobi weri syatu krosi san e poti den mindribere na doro. Girls nowadays like to wear short clothes that let their midriff show.

3) adj. muscular. Mi o go opo isri meki mi skin kon dobru. I am going to lift weights so that my body will get muscular.

dodoi v. quiet (a child), calm, lull to sleep. Dodoi a pikin, meki a tan tiri. Quiet that child. Keep him still. See: boboi.

dofo See main entry: dofo-oso. n. hut where the bonuman keeps his paraphernalia and where he.

dofo-oso n. hut where the bonuman keeps his paraphernalia and where he performs rituals. Variant: dofo. Spelling variation: dof'oso

dofuman n. a person who is deaf. A e prei dofuman, ma a no dofu. A no wani yere. He acts like a deaf man, but he is not deaf. He does not want to hear.

dogla n. someone of mixed race (especially creole and hindustani). See: malata; sambo. From: Hindi.

2) n. the German language.

doisri2 n. bedbug. Cimex rotundatus (Cimicidae, O. Heteroptera). (doisri were common when mattresses had kapok filling. Now that most mattresses are made of foam, they are not so common.).

doksi 1) n. general term for a various kinds of ducks. (Anatidae). masc: drèk. See: kwakwa.

2) n. muscovy duck. Cairina moschata (Anatidae). Also known as busdoksi.

dokun n. a sweet made from cassave and coconut. The batter is wrapped in pieces of banana leaves, tied and then placed in a pot of hot water until it is cooked.

dompu 1) v. dump. Neti yuru den dompu doti ini a gotro. At night they dumped trash in the drainage ditch.

2) v. tip over. Mi dompu a bari meki ala a watra lon kmopo ini en. I tipped over the barrel to let all the water run out.

3) v. limp, hobble. A e dompu fu di a broko en wan sei futu. He is limping because he broke one of his feet. See: tingatinga.

4) v. to be better than someone in some way. A man disi tranga moro mi, ma efu un hori wan streilon mi e dompu en. This man is stronger than I am, but if they hold a race I can beat him.

domri n. religious functionary, pastor, priest. Usage: (also used of Hindu and Muslim religious leaders, e.g. wan kuli domri meaning "a Hindu priest"). See: preikiman.

domrikrosi n. clothes worn by a religious functionary when carrying out certain rituals.

domru v. wrap. Domru a fisi ini wan pisi papira. Wrap the fish in a piece of paper.

dondruston n. neolithic axe; it is said to have fallen from the sky and thus have special powers. Usage: it is used in the winti religion.

dongo v. set, go down (a river). A son e dongo. The sun is setting. Usage: archaic: people now say a son e saka. See: saka2.

2) n. a sum of money originally equal to ten cents; now it can mean ten guilders and even ten thousand guilders. See table under: moni.

dopu1 1) vt. baptize. Sonde di e kon den o dopu den pikin na kerki. This Sunday they will baptize the children at church.

2) vi. be baptized. Te yu dopu dan yu e kisi wan papira fu kerki di sori tak' na den dopu yu. When you are baptized, you get a certificate from the church saying that they baptized you.

teki dopu v. be baptized. Baka di Ronald kon na bribi, a ben wani teki dopu. After Ronald became a believer, he wanted to be baptized.

3) n. baptism. Fosi yu teki dopu, yu mu kon sabi fosi san na dopu. Before you get baptized, you must first understand what baptism means.

4) v. figuratively used to refer to someone being initiated, or for something being used for the first time. Mi bai wan nyun wagi ma mi no dopu en ete. I have bought a new car but I haven’t really tried it out yet.

dopu2 v. dip. Johanisi ben lobi fu dopu en boru ini en kofi. Johan liked to dunk his roll in his coffee. Mi mama dopu a empi ini a sopo watra dan a bosro en, ma a flaka no kmoto fu en. My mother dipped the shirt in soapy water and then scrubbed it, but the stain did not come out.

dopukerki n. baptismal service. Sonde di e kon wi o hori dopukerki. Next Sunday we will have a baptismal service. Usage: (Church language).

dor'ai n. disdain, scorn, contempt. No tyari yu dor'ai na mi! Don’t show me your contempt. Usage: it is always used with the verb tyari.

dorfu v. dare. En papa fon en tak' a no ben dorfu fu taki wan sani. His father gave him such a beating that he didn’t dare say anything. See: pruberi; prefuru.

2) n. doorway. A sutu en ede na a doro, dan a taki: San de fu du dya? She stuck her head in the doorway and said: What is the matter here?

na doro n. outside. Go na doro go teki a sisibi. Go outside and get the broom. Di a man dyuku en dan ala en bere kon na doro. When the man stabbed him all of his insides came out. See: dorosei.

go na doro v. go out. Feestedei sma no e tan na oso. Den e go na doro. On holidays people do not stay home. They go out.

doro2 vi. arrive. Fa mi doro na oso, a alen bigin kon. Just as I arrived home, it began to rain.

doro3 ad. continually, on and on. Doro mi mama e kragi fu a oli tori. My mother complains continually about the scarcity of cooking oil. Dorodoro yu e kon lati. You always come late! Variant: dorodoro3.

go doro v. continue, go on. Fa alen kon dan a konmakandra no go doro. Because of the rain, the meeting did not go on.

hori doro v. persevere, endure, keep going. No lasi ati! Yu mu hori doro te na a kba. Don’t give up! You need to persevere until the end.

doro4 vt. sift. Mama doro a blon fu meki a kuku. Mother sifted the flour to make the cake.

doro ... na ai look for trouble with someone, challenge someone. See main entry: doro ... na ai.

dorodoro2 ad. thoroughly, through and through. Mi sabi mi pikin dorodoro. Mi sabi tak' a no o teki san no fu en. I know my child through and through. I know that she will not take what is not hers.

dorosei 1) n. outside, out, exterior. A dagu mus tan na dorosei bika a fisti. The dog must stay outside because it’s dirty. A man disi moi fu dorosei, ma a abi takru maniri. This man looks good on the outside, but he is rotten on the inside. ant: inisei.

2) n. foreign country, abroad. Oto no e meki dya. Den mu tyari den kmopo fu dorosei. Cars aren’t made here. They are brought in from abroad.

dosi n. cassava bread folded over with a sweetened coconut mixture (stofukronto) inside.

dot'doti 1) adj. dirty, but not especially so. A empi dot'doti pikinso, ma mi kan weri en ete. The shirt is a little dirty, but I can still wear it. See: doti2; fisti. Spelling variation: dot'doti

2) n. specks of dirt (things such as hulls, dirt, stones or pieces of shell that are found in rice, beans and sugar). Yu e piki a aleisi fu puru dot'doti na ini. You pick through the rice to take out pieces of dirt.

doti1 1) n. a piece of land, country, ground. Yu no mus afrontu a doti pe yu kumbatitei beri. You should not insult the country where your umbilical cord is buried. A frow taigi en birfrow taki: I no o kon fon mi tapu mi eigi doti. The woman said to her neighbor: You can’t come whip me on my own property. syn: kondre. See: gron.

2) n. soil, dirt. A bon mangri mangri. Yu mus krabu doti poti gi en. The tree looks scrawny. You need to rake up some dirt around it.

doti2 1) n. trash, rubbish. Te yu kba krin a dyari, dan yu mus bron a doti. When you are done cleaning the yard, you must burn the trash.

2) ad. dirty, messy. A dyari doti, yèrè. Luku fa papira lai en. The yard is a mess. Look at all the paper strewn about. A pikin weri wan doti yapon. The girl is wearing a dirty dress. ant: krin. See: morsu.

3) v. make something dirty. A gasbom san mi tya kon doti mi krosi. The propane tank that I brought made my clothes dirty.

4) ad. mean, wicked, untrustworthy. A man disi doti. Yu mus luku bun nanga en. This man is untrustworthy. You had better be careful. syn: dyote.

dot'sani n. dirty dishes. Te mi kba nyan, m'o wasi den dot'sani wanten. When I’m done eating I’ll wash the dishes right away.

dot'taki n. obscene or filthy language. Dot'taki no mus kmoto ini yu mofo. No filthy language should come out of your mouth.

drai 1) vi. turn. Efu den bugru frustu, a wiel no man drai. If the bearings rust, the wheel can’t turn.

drai baka v. Di mi si taki alen bo kon, dan mi drai baka kon na oso. When I saw that it was going to rain, I turned back home.

drai kon baka v. Baka tin yari Arnie drai kon baka. After ten years Arnie came back.

2) vt. stir; turn. Drai a kuku gi mi. Stir the batter for me. or Turn the cake for me. Drai a sturu. Turn the chair around.

3) v. capsize. A boto drai dan a sungu. The boat capsized and sunk. See: kanti.

4) v. change, turn around. A ten drai. Times have changed. syn: kenki.

5) v. function well, be successful. A zaak e drai. The business is going well. San, dri wagi yu abi? Yu e drai, man! What’s that? You have three cars? Man, you’re really well off.

drai ... baka gi turn one’s back on, reject. See main entry: drai ... baka gi.

drai ... lontu 1) vt. turn something around. Te yu o bai wan sani, yu mus drai en lontu luku ala sei fosi yu pai fu en. Before you buy something, you should turn it around and look at all sides before you pay for it.

2) vt. keep on turning. No drai a miri afu, yu mu drai en lontu. Don’t turn the grinder half way, you need to keep on turning it.

drai ... tapu vt. turn over, flip over. Te neti Syori e hari en kruyara kon na syoro dan a e drai en tapu fu a watra lon kmopo ini en. At night Syori pulls his canoe onto the shore and turns it over to drain out the water.

drai lontu 1) vi. spin around, revolve. Den bearing frustu. Dat' meki a wiel e bari te a e drai lontu. The bearings are rusty. That is why the wheel squeals when it spins.

2) vi. go around in circles, wander around. Efu wan sma no ben kon sori un a pasi, un bo drai lontu ete. If someone hadn’t come and shown us the way, we would still be going around in circles. A baas no gi en wan spesrutu wroko, dat' meki a e drai lontu te leki a feni wan sani fu du. The boss hasn’t given him a specific task to do, that is why he is wandering around until he finds something.

drai tapu vi. flipped over, turned over. Esde di mi e go na oso mi si wan wagi drai tapu na sei pasi. Yesterday while I was going home, I saw a car flipped over on the side of the road.

draibere v. dead (of fish floating belly up in the water). Luku, ala den fisi ini a gotro draibere. Look, all the fish in the ditch are floating belly up. syn: dede1.

draidrai 1) v. procrastinate, put something off. I no mu draidrai nanga a siki moro. Go es'esi na datra. You must not procrastinate with the sickness. Go quickly to the doctor.

2) v. hesitate, vacillate. Di skowtu aksi en efu na a man dati du en, a draidrai, a no piki wantron. When the police asked her if that man had done it, she hesitated, she did not answer immediately.

3) v. wait around. A bus no bo lusu fosi tu yuru, dat' meki mi tan draidrai dya. The bus does not leave until two o’clock, that’s why I am waiting around here. Morph: redup.

drai-ede n. dizzy, giddy. Fa mi mankeri brudu mi e kisi drai-ede furu. Because I have low blood pressure I often get dizzy.

2) v. work someone like a slave. A boi e dreba en m'ma skin. A m'ma no e kisi ten fu rostu pikinso. The boy works his mother like a slave. She doesn’t get a moment’s rest.

2) vt. to dry. Baka di mi wasi dot'sani, mi tnapu drei ala den preti. After I washed the dishes, I stood and dried all the plates.

3) vi. dry. Anga den nati krosi fu den drei. Hang the wet clothes up to dry.

drei-ai n. effrontery, shameless boldness. Fa a man kan abi drei-ai so, fu luku wan Amerkan dan a aksi en san feni fu a feti na Irak. How can the man have such effrontery as to look at an American and ask him what he thinks of the war in Iraq.

dreifisi n. dried fish. Usage: nowadays they usually dry gratfisi, a kind of catfish. See: waranfisi; sowt'fisi.

dreineki n. thirst. A sneisi nyanyan gi mi dreineki. The Chinese food has made me thirsty (lit: has given me thirst).

neki drei idiom. be thirsty. Fu di en neki drei meki a dringi a watra. Because he was thirsty, he drank the water. syn: watra ... kiri.

dreiten n. dry season. there is a long dry season, bigi dreiten, from August until mid-November and a short dry season, pikin dreiten, from mid-February until mid-April.

dresi 1) n. medicine. Odo: Dringi dresi, wakti siki. Proverb: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

2) n. poison (when referring to the extermination of rodents, insects and other unwanted vermin). Te yu poti dresi gi alata, yu mu luku bun tak' den dagu no feni en nyan. When you set out poison for rats, you need to be careful that the dogs do not find and eat it.

3) v. to dress a wound, treat a sickness. Efu yu no dresi a soro, a o kon moro ogri. If you do not treat the wound it will get worse.

dribi 1) v. float, drift. Mi e si wan pisi planga dape e dribi tapu a watra. I see a plank there floating on the water. Te yu e swen ini a liba, a watra e dribi yu tya gwe. When you swim in the river, the current carries you away. Variant: drifi.

2) v. shove, move, shift. Dribi pikinso, meki mi sidon na yu sei. Scoot over a little, let me sit beside you. See: skoifi; syobu.

drifutu n. tripod, a three-legged stand used to support a cooking pot above a wood or charcoal fire.

2) n. drink. Nyanyan nanga dringi ben de fu naki dagu. There was food and drink in abundance.

3) v. use up. A wagi fu mi e dringi furu oli. My car uses a lot of gas. Mi no sabi san de fu du nanga mi. A gersi wan sani e dringi mi brudu. I don’t know what is the matter with me. It’s like something is drinking my blood.

2) n. fruit of the sea grape tree (they are berries that grow in clusters like grapes).

2) n. sea grape, shore grape. Coccoloba uvifera (Polygonaceae).

dromofo n. threshold, doorstep. Mi ben de fu gwe, ma fa yu doro na mi dromofo kba, mi no kan seni yu gwe. I was about to leave, but seeing as you are here on my doorstep I cannot send you away. Variant: doromofo.

koti a dron idiom. play the drum well. Te a boi e naki a dron, den sma e dansi moro. Bika a e koti en. Whenever that boy plays the drum people dance more, because he really plays well.

dropu 1) n. drop; also used for a small amount of certain solid items such as rice or sugar. Baya, a no gi mi no wan dropu watra srefi! Well, she didn’t even give me a single drop of water. Mi no abi no wan dropu aleisi moro. I don’t have a single grain of rice anymore.

2) v. drip. Heri neti a kran dropu. All night long the faucet dripped.

dropu kon inisei idiom. trickle in. A konmakandra no ben span. Wanwan den sma dropu kon inisei. The meeting was not well attended. People trickled in one at a time.

3) v. put medicine in the eyes, ears or nose. A go na datra fu dropu en ai. She went to the doctor to have medicine put in her eyes. Usage: it can be drops, an ointment or other kind of medicine.

dropu en ai idiom. do someone a favor. Ala yuru mi mama e aksi mi fu bai wan saka aleisi gi en. Tide mi bai wan gi en fu dropu en ai. My mother asks me all the time to buy her a sack of rice. Today I did her a favor and bought her one.

4) v. reduce (the amount of money paid out). Lanti dropu a moni di den e gi den bigisma. The government lowered the amount of money they give old people.

2) v. stun, make light-headed. A kofu san a man naki mi, a drungu mi. The blow that the man gave me, it stunned me.

du fanowdu the carrying out of spiritual practices with the help of black magic. See main entry: du fanowdu.

dukrun 1) v. dive. Te a boi disi dukrun, a e tan langa ondro a watra. When this boy dives, he stays under water a long time.

2) v. hide, take cover. Di den srudati bigin sutu, ala sma dukrun ondro den tafra. When the soldiers began shooting, everyone dived under the tables. syn: dòk.

2) n. money. A man disi tyari duku! This man has lots of money! syn: moni.

duman 1) n. a man of action, someone who gets things done. Odo: Takiman a no duman. Proverb: Barking dogs don’t bite.

2) n. obeah man, shaman, medicine man. syn: bonuman.

dungru 1) adj. dark. Leti a faya gi mi. A kamra dungru. Turn on the light for me. The room is dark. ant: leti1.

2) n. darkness. A son e saka. Dalek dungru o fadon. The sun is setting. It will be dark soon. (literally: Soon darkness will fall.)

3) v. darken, give something a darker color. Weti wagi e doti esi, dat' meki mi o dungru di fu mi. White cars get dirty fast, therefore I’m going to paint mine darker.

dungrudungru adj. half-dark, as in a room dimly lit, or the early morning or late evening hours. Mi no ben kan si krin san a ben e weri bika a kamra ben dungrudungru. I could not see clearly what she had on because the room was dimly lit. Morph: redup.

dungru-oso n. jail. Usage: people now usually say straf’oso. See: strafu-oso; bakafoto. Spelling variation: dungr'oso

dweiri 1) n. mop. (it can be as simple as an old rag that is slung over a broom and used to mop a floor).

2) v. mop. From: NL. Etym: dweilen .

dwengi v. force, coerce, compel. Te den pikin kon bigi, yu no kan dwengi den moro fu du san yu wani. When children get bigger, you can no longer force them to do what you want. See: stowtu. From: NL. Etym: dwingen .

dyadya adj. qualified through training and experience. Solanga feti no e feti, yu no man si suma na den dyadya srudati. As long as there is no war, you cannot tell who the real soldiers are.

dyaf v. brag, boast. Berto e dyaf taki a kan du ala wroko, ma a no sabi du noti. Berto boasts that he can do all kinds of work, but he doesn’t know how to do anything.

en dyakti teki faya idiom. to fall out of favor. Fosi a ben plei bigiten, ma now en dyakti teki faya. He used to act important, but now he has fallen out of favor. syn: en bakasei teki faya.

dyam 1) n. trap. A ontiman seti wan dyam gi a keskesi. The hunter set a trap for the monkey.

2) n. difficult situation, a jam, a conflict. Nownow mi de ini wan dyam. Dat meki mi no man yepi yu nanga no wan moni. I’m in a jam right now. That’s why I can’t help you with any money.

3) v. hold back, restrain. No meki a boi psa. Dyam en gi mi. Don’t let the boy past. Hold him for me.

4) v. snub. Di mi go na driktoro tide, a dyam mi taki mi no ben man taki noti moro. When I went to the director today, he snubbed me so that I couldn’t say anything more.

5) v. refers to a motor that won’t run; it can also refer to a motor sputtering (e.g. because of dirty gasoline or spark plugs). A oli di mi bai esde ben doti. Dat meki a wagi dyam. The gas that I bought yesterday was dirty. That’s why the engine sputters.

naki dyap v. do odd jobs. A man disi no abi fasti wroko. Na dyap a e naki. This man does not have steady work. He does odd jobs.

gi dyaranti v. guarantee. Mi kan gi yu a dyaranti tak' mi o tyari a moni tamara. I guarantee you that I will bring the money tomorrow.

dyar'pesi n. kind of dried cowpea; the unshelled peas are sold in bundles and are used in preparing moksi-aleisi. Vigna unguiculata; Vigna sinensis (Papilionaceae).

dyarusu 1) v. be envious or jealous. Den boi e dyarusu tapu Ronald bika a abi furu moni. The boys are jealousof Ronald because he has lots of money.

2) n. jealousy. Yu no mus meki bigi gi yusrefi bika dati e tyari dyarusu kon. You must not brag because that makes people jealous.

3) adj. jealous. A pikin disi na wan dyarusu pikin. This child is a jealous child.

dyarususturu n. a specially designed, four-legged chair with a round back extending around two of the sides; the legs are decorated with brass bands. (It has a strong association with the winti religion.).

dyebri n. a kromanti spirit associated with the jungle and said to manifest itself as a jaguar. syn: tigriwinti. Spelling variation: gebri

dyeme 1) v. groan, moan. Te yu de na at'oso, yu e yere fa den sikisma e dyeme. When you are at the hospital, you hear how the patients groan.

2) n. groan, moan. Farawe yu ben kan yere a dyeme fu den sikisma kba. From far away you could already hear the moans of the sick. See: soktu. Spelling variation: geme

dyèns v. oppose, work against. President wani tyari kenki kon ini a kondre, ma den sma fu den tra partij e dyèns en. The president wants to bring about change in the country, but the members of the other (political) parties oppose him.

dyesi n. yeast. Yu e poti dyesi ini a blon fu meki a blon sweri. You put yeast in the dough to make the dough rise. Spelling variation: gesi

kari dyesi v. ferment (of liquids). Te yu meki win, yu mu libi en meki a kari dyesi. When you make wine, you need to let it set to ferment.

dyindya n. ginger. Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae). From: Eng. Etym: ginger . Spelling variation: gindya

dyindyamaka n. any of two varieties of tree porcupines found in Suriname, the South American tree porcupine and the black-tailed tree porcupine. Coendou prehensilis ; Sphiggurus insidiosus (Erethizontidae). Also known as agidya. Spelling variation: gindyamaka

dyinipi 1) n. Guianese cavy (a kind of guinea pig that occurs in the wild in Suriname). Cavia aperea (Caviidae).

2) n. name for any breed of domesticated guinea pig. Spelling variation: ginipi

dyodyo n. a kind of spirit in the winti religion (different people give different explanations of what it is, e.g. some say it is a spirit that offers protection, others say it is the spiritual parents of a person’s kra). Morph: redup.

2) n. a liter-sized bottle. See: batra.

dyompo1 vi. jump. Mi broko mi anu di mi dyompo kmopo fu a bon. I broke my arm when I jumped out of the tree.

ati de na dyompo idiom. be anxious, nervous, tense. A dei den srudati teki a kondre abra, ala sma ati ben de na dyompo. The day the soldiers took over, everyone was nervous. syn: dyugudyugu.

dyompo gi wan sma idiom. jump into something for someone, intervene. A papa dyompo gi en boi fu skowtu no tyari en gwe. The father intervened for his son so that the police wouldn’t take him away.

dyompo2 ad. meat or fish that has begun to spoil. Den fisi disi na owru fisi bika den smeri dyompo. These fish are old. They smell spoiled. See: pori1.

dyompodyompo 1) adj. restless, wild or hyperactive. Ala pikin kan tan na mi boiti a wan fu John. A dati dyompodyompo tumsi. Every child can stay with me except John’s. That one is too wild. Mi granmama taki tak' noiti a no ben lobi den dyompodyompo dansi. My grandmother says that she has never liked these wild dances. syn: dyugudyugu.

2) v. restless. Heri dei a pikin disi e dyompodyompo. A no man tan sidon no wan presi. This child is restless all day long. She can’t sit still in one place. Morph: redup.

dyompofutu 1) n. game of hopscotch. Esde mi si fa den pikin na strati ben e prei dyompofutu. Yesterday I saw how the children were playing hopscotch on the street.

2) n. hopscotch diagram. Teki wan tiki dan yu e hari wan dyompofutu ini a santi. Take a stick and draw a hopscotch in the dirt.

dyonko v. doze, doze off. Ala sonde yu e si a bigisma e dyonko ini a kerki. Every Sunday you see the old woman dozing off in church.

dyonsro ad. in a little while, soon. Rodney, dyonsro i mu go na wenkri gi mi. Rodney, you need to go to the the store for me soon. syn: dalek. See: wantewante; didyonsro. Variant: dyonsno.

dyote 1) adj. mean, wicked, untrustworthy. Yu no mu broko moni na den dyote boi na strati. Don’t exchange money with those crooked boys on the street. See: doti2.

2) v. cheat, deceive, swindle. Den man dyote mi nanga a banti san mi bai. The people cheated me with the tire I bought. See: kori.

dyugudyugu 1) n. chaos, commotion, unrest, noise. Dyugudyugu de ini a kondre. There is chaos in the land. syn: opruru. Morph: redup. See: wunyuwunyu.

2) adj. boisterous, restless, overly active. Milka na wan tiri pikin. A no e makandra nanga dyugudyugu sma. Milka is a quiet child. She doesn’t hang around boisterous people. ant: tiri1; syn: bradyari.

3) v. be restless; run around wild; pressure someone. Fu sanede a pikin fu yu no kan sribi na neti? Bika heri dei a e dyugudyugu so. Why can’t your child sleep at night? Because all day long she runs around wild.

Dyuka 1) n. an Aukaner, the Aukan tribe. (one of the Bushnegro tribes of the interior of Suriname).

2) n. a general term to refer to any of the Bushnegro tribes in Suriname. (often in a pejorative way).

dyukabangi n. a carved folding bench with a long sloping back made by Bush Negroes.

dyuku 1) vt. stab, jab. A fufuruman dyuku a frow kiri. The thief stabbed the woman to death.

dyuku a rem idiom. slam on the brakes. A wagiman dyuku a rem fu a no naki a boi. The driver slammed on the brakes so as not to hit the boy.

2) vi. to be dressed up. A meisje dyuku tide! The girl is dressed up today! syn: prodo.

dyukudyuku v. prod, repeatedly jab. Sribi ben kiri mi sote tak' mi frow ben mus dyukudyuku mi fu mi tan na ai. I was so sleepy that my wife had to keep jabbing me to stay awake. syn: sutusutu.

TABLE 1: Times of the day
Fa a dei prati	Time of day referred to
musudei	about 4 or 5 AM
mamanten	after daybreak
brekten	about 1 PM
bakadina	about 3 or 4 PM
mofoneti	about 6 PM
mindrineti	midnight
deiten	daytime
neti	nighttime

TABLE 2: Ritual Names
Day of the week	Day of the week	Women	Men
Sunday	sonde	Kwasiba	Kwasi
Monday	munde	Adyuba	Kodyo
Tuesday	tudewroko	Abeniba	Kwamina
Wednesday	dridewroko	Akuba	Kwaku
Thursday	fodewroko	Yaba	Yaw
Friday	freida	Afiba	Kofi
Saturday	satra	Amba	Kwami

D - d