Datapoint Early Sranan/Order of demonstrative and noun

The demonstrative disi can appear before or after the noun; over time, it shifted from pre- to postnominal position. The demonstrative dati is not used adnominally in the 18th century except for one instance in the latest source taken into account (Weygandt 1798), where it occurs after the noun. The determiners da (SG) and den (PL), which sometimes function as demonstratives, always precede the noun.

Values

Demonstrative word precedes noun Frequency: 70.0%

Example 1-20:
Da boote de go na diesi netti.
Da
det.sg
boto
boat
de
ingr
go
go
na
on
disi
this
neti.
night
The boat is going this night.
Dutch: De Boot gaat van deeze Nagt. [op.cit.]

Source: van Dyk ca. 1765: 91

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

Confidence:
Very certain

Demonstrative word follows noun Frequency: 30.0%

Example 1-21:
Tee mie werie foe da Pliesierie datie, dan mie dee go baka na hoso.
Te
when
mi
1sg
wêri
weary
fu
of
da
det.sg
prisiri
pleasure
dati,
that
dan
then
mi
1sg
de
hab
go
go
baka
back
na
at
oso.
house
When I’d got tired of that pleasure, then I’d (usually) return to the house.
Dutch: Vermoeid van dat vermaak, ging ik dan weer na huis [op.cit.]

Source: Weygandt 1798: 140

Example 1-22:
wan vo dem pikin dissi
wan
one
fu
of
den
det.pl
pikin
child
disi
this
one of these children

Source: Schumann 1781: 158

Confidence:
Very certain