Datapoint Early Sranan/Occurrence of nominal plural markers

Plural is never marked on the noun itself. As there is no indefinite plural determiner, indefinite plurals always remain unmarked. Definite plurals may but need not be marked by the plural determiner den. (Cf. Feature 28 "Definite articles".)

Values

Variable plural marking of human or inanimate nouns

Example 1-70:
Kaba killiman miti hem na pasi, dem pulu sanni va hem, [...].
Kaba
and
kiriman
murderer
miti
meet
en
3sg
na
loc
pasi,
road
den
3pl
puru
remove
sani
thing
fu
of
en,
3sg
[...].
[...]
And murderers came upon him on the road, they removed his things, [...].

Source: Schumann 1781: 164

Example 1-71:
Dem sa moesoe sorie alle dem condre na bacara.
Den
3pl
sa
fut
musu
must
sori
show
ala
all
den
det.pl
kondre
village
na
to
bakra.
white
They will have to show all their villages to the Europeans.

Source: SPT 1762

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

Confidence:
Very certain