Datapoint Early Sranan/Definite articles

The determiners da (SG) and den (PL) function as definite articles but, on the one hand, they are not always present in definite contexts, and, on the other hand, they can have demonstrative force.

Values

Definite article identical to a demonstrative

Example 1-23:
Da stoeloe sa hey toemoesie sontem foe joe, Diesja sa moro betree.
Da
det.sg
sturu
chair
sa
fut
hei
high
tumusi
too.much
sonten
perhaps
fu
for
yu,
2sg
disi-dya
this-here
sa
fut
moro
more
betre.
better
That chair may be too high for you, this one here will be better.
Dutch: Die stoel […]. Deeze […]. [op.cit.]

Source: Weygandt 1798: 122

Example 1-24:
[...] tra dirkture [... ] Takki mi hoe fa den dirkture de doe fo holli pranasie krien alle tem.
[...]
[...]
tra
other
driktoro
manager
[...]
[...]
Taki
tell
mi
1sg
o
q
fa
manner
den
det.pl
driktoro
manager
de
hab
du
do
fu
for
hori
hold
pranasi
plantation
krin
clean
ala
all
ten.
time
[...] other managers [...] Tell me how those managers manage to keep their plantations clean all the time.
Dutch: Ik zie hoe de andere Directeurs Leeven met het Plantagie-Werk en de Plantagies zyn altyd schoon en zy Werken niet half zoo veel als wy. [op.cit.]

Source: van Dyk ca. 1765: 87

Example 1-82:
Den drom no klare jetti oenno zabi takki no wan zomma ben pree lange da drom na negi moen tem.
Den
det.pl
dron
drum
no
neg
klari
ready
ete
yet
unu
2pl
sabi
know
taki
say
no-wan
no-one
soma
person
ben
pst
prei
play
nanga
with
da
det.sg
dron
drum
na
loc
neigi
nine
mun
moon
ten.
time
The drums are not ready yet, you know that no one has played on the drum in nine months time.
Dutch: De Trommel is nog niet klaar, daar is in de Tyd van neegen Maanden niet op Gespeeld, dat weet je wel. [op.cit.]

Source: van Dyk ca. 1765: 108

Example 1-83:
Mastra wan koffi pranasie a habi vyfi ten tien zomma na fili da gron no mosse morre biki liki wan hondert na vyfi ten tien akkers.
Masra
master
wan
indf.sg
kofi
coffee
pranasi
plantation
a
3sg.sbj
abi
have
feifi
five
ten
time
tin
ten
soma
person
na
loc
firi
field
da
det.sg
gron
ground
no
neg
musu
must
moro
more
bigi
big
leki
like
wan
one
hondru
hundred
na
at
feifi
five
ten
time
tin
ten
akkers.
acre
Master, when a coffee plantation has fifty blacks in the field, the land should not be bigger than 150 acres.
Dutch: Meester, een Koffie-Plantagie, die 50 Neegers in het Veld heeft, dan moet het Land niet grooter zyn als 150 Akkers. [op.cit.]

Source: van Dyk ca. 1765: 87

Confidence:
Very certain