Particle Verbs in the Surinamese Creoles

Abstract

This paper shows that Dutch verb-particle constructions have been transferred into the Surinamese creole languages as a result of pervasive multilingualism and intensive contact. Particle-verb structures are, at most, marginal in the native grammar of Surinamese creoles. However, recent data show that verb-particle constructions of the Dutch sort are becoming productive and are used with some homogeneity in the creole language context.