Language helps to bind us to those with whom we share primal group identity, and it separates us from outsiders and competing groups (Pagel, 2012). So when we talk about Suriname, a small South American country bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the west, French Guiana to the east, and Brazil to the south, we think about how its multilingualism must affect the people living there.
While the predominant language spoken is Dutch, the questions surrounding its diversity arise, one of which is “Does Suriname speak Hindi?”. Even though Suriname is the only Dutch-speaking country in South America, it does have a large Hindi-speaking population, particularly among those of Indian origin.
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Does Suriname Speak Hindi? Multilingualism in Suriname
Home to 14 local languages, Suriname is a place where African, Amerindian, Asian, and European traditions blend seamlessly, creating a rich cultural mosaic. Being a linguistically diverse country, aside from Dutch, which is the language used for all official purposes, other languages such as Sranan Tongo are also used. Sranan Tongo serves as a lingua franca, or a bridge language used to communicate between people of different ethnic backgrounds. A local English-based creole language, it is the most widely used vernacular language in daily life and business among the Surinamese. Together with Dutch, it is considered to be one of the two principal languages of Surinamese diglossia.
Other languages in Suriname include Javanese, spoken by the descendants of Indonesian labourers; Chinese dialects, spoken by the Chinese-Surinamese community; Portuguese; and indigenous languages like Arawak and Carib. This multilingual environment fosters a unique cultural coexistence where languages intermingle and influence each other. But when asked, “Does Suriname speak Hindi?”, the answer comes to be a variant of Hindi, Sarnami Hindi, which is spoken by the Indo-Surinamese.
Does Suriname Speak Hindi: Sarnami Hindustani
Slavery played an important part in shaping Suriname’s past and present. Hindi came to Suriname when indentured labourers from India were brought here during colonial rule. Over the decades, more than 34,000 Indians arrived in Suriname from regions that are now part of modern-day Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and other northern Indian states. The majority of these immigrants spoke Hindi dialects, such as Bhojpuri and Awadhi. This is why, while Hindi is mainly linked with India, it is still spoken in various other countries due to historical migrations and cultural interactions. Surinamese Hindi is a unique dialect that the Indian community in Suriname developed to preserve their linguistic identity.
The Indo-Surinamese population makes up approximately 27% of Suriname’s total population. Although it shares similarities with Standard Hindi, Sarnami Hindustani has its distinct grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. It is a dialect of the Bhojpuri language but with a heavy influence on other languages spoken in the country (namely Dutch, Sranan Tongo, English, as well as other Indigenous languages), and it falls under the Caribbean Hindustani umbrella term.
So when questioning “Does Suriname speak Hindi”, it can be said that Sarnami Hindi is the third most spoken language in the country. However, while Sarnami is mostly a language of informal daily communication, the traditional prestige language of the community is Standard Hindi–Urdu in either of its literary variants: Hindi for Hindus, and Urdu for Muslims.
Nickerian-Berbician Hindustani
Nickerian-Berbician Hindustani, also called Nickerian Sarnami or Berbician Hindustani, is a unique dialect of Sarnami and Guyanese Bhojpuri-Hindustani that developed in the district of Nickerie in Suriname and the neighbouring county of Berbice in Guyana during the colonial times. This language is another fitting answer to “Does Suriname speak Hindi?” because Nickerian-Berbician Hindustani is mutually intelligible with Sarnami, although there are many words from Guyanese English, Creole and English.
Not only with Sarnami, but it is also mutually intelligible with Guyanese Hindustani spoken in the rest of Guyana. However, unlike Suriname, Indians in Guyana have mostly adopted Guyanese English Creole as their first language, and it is spoken mostly by the elderly, Hindu priests, and Indian immigrants from Suriname.
Challenges to Hindi’s Survival in Suriname
Despite its cultural significance, Hindi faces several challenges in Suriname. The primary challenge is the dominance of Dutch as the official language and Sranan Tongo as the common language of communication. As a result, younger generations of Indo-Surinamese are increasingly adopting Dutch as their first language, leading to a decline in fluency in both Sarnami Hindi and Standard Hindi.
Another factor is the global trend of linguistic assimilation, where smaller languages often lose ground to more dominant ones. In Suriname’s case, economic and social integration has encouraged using Dutch and Sranan Tongo over traditional languages like Hindi. Educational institutions also predominantly use Dutch, further diminishing opportunities for formal learning of Hindi.
Efforts to counter these challenges are ongoing, with cultural organisations and community leaders working to preserve and promote Hindi through language classes, cultural festivals, and religious activities. Collaboration with India through cultural exchange programs and the promotion of Hindi as a global language has also played a role in these preservation efforts.
Conclusion
So, does Suriname speak Hindi? The answer lies in understanding the nuances of the question. While Standard Hindi is not a widely spoken language in the broader Surinamese society, its derivative, Sarnami Hindi, holds a cherished place among the Indo-Surinamese community. Suriname has a multicultural heritage that is evolving continuously. These unique languages are a testament to the resilience of Suriname’s indigenous peoples.
It also displays their commitment to preserving their linguistic and cultural heritage. However as these languages face challenges, including marginalization and the pressure of language shift, efforts are underway to document and preserve these languages, recognizing their importance to Suriname’s cultural diversity and historical heritage.
FAQs
What is the Indian language in Suriname?
Sarnami, or Sarnami Hindustani, is the Indian language in Suriname which is also the third most spoken language in the country. It is an amalgamation of various dialects including Bhojpuri and Awadhi.
Are there Indian people in Suriname?
Indo-Surinamese is one of the largest ethnic groups in Suriname, comprising 27.4% of the total population.
In which country only Hindi is spoken?
India is a country where in the majority of the regions, only Hindi is spoken. Although there are several other languages, Hindi is considered to be the most spoken.
