Datapoint Early Sranan/Nominal plural marker and third-person-plural pronoun

The form written as or is both 3PL pronoun and determiner expressing plural and at the same time definiteness or, sometimes, deixis.

Values

Identity

Example 1-33:
Dem tu brara no lukku dem tatta.
Den
det.pl
tu
two
brara
brother
no
neg
luku
look.after
den
3pl
tata.
father
The/those two brothers don't take care of their father.
German: Die 2 Gebrüder bekümmern sich nicht um ihren Vater. [op.cit.]

Source: Schumann 1783: 29

Example 1-65:
Dan mie nanga den Booy foe mie [...].
Dan
then
mi
1sg
nanga
with
den
det.pl
boi
boy
fu
of
mi
1sg
[...].
[...]
Then me and my boys [...].
Dutch: [...] myne Jongens [...]. [op.cit.]

Source: Weygandt 1798: 139

Example 1-72:
Kaba dem fotto Ningre no jeri hem kwetikweti, na dem oure English plantasi dem habi hem.
Kaba
and
den
det.pl
foto
fort
Nengre
black
no
neg
yere
hear
en
3sg
kwetikweti,
really
na
loc
den
det.pl
owru
old
Ingris
English
pranasi
plantation
den
3pl
habi
have
en.
3sg
And the town blacks don't really know it, (but) on the old English plantations they say it.

Source: Schumann 1783: 21

Example 1-76:
Morro ju gi dem, morro dem haksi.
Moro
more
yu
2sg
gi
gi
den,
3pl
moro
more
den
3pl
aksi.
ask
The more you give them, the more they request.
German: Je mehr du ihnen gibst, desto mehr fordern sie. [op.cit.]

Source: Schumann 1783: 115

Confidence:
Very certain