S - s

Sa1 title. misses, sister. Usage: title used in folktales and in referring to older women. See: Ba1; Ma1; Pa; Tata; See table under: famiriman.
sa2 aux.v. future tense marker. Efu a no kon tide, dan a sa kon tamara. If he doesn’t come today, then he will come tomorrow. Usage: When compared with o, there is less certainty of the event taking place. It is also used to indicate ones intention of doing something. See: o1.
sa3 1) v. to saw (wood or metal).
2) n. saw (cutting tool).
sabadei n. Sabbath.
sabaku n. any of various species of white egrets, cattle egret, snowy egret. Egretta alba, Egretta thula, Bubulcus ibis (Ardeidae).
sabana 1) n. savannah.
2) n. it is sometimes used as a euphemism for the grave, the happy hunting grounds.
sabanadia n. white-tailed deer. Odocoileus virginianus (Cervidae).
sabanasekrepatu n. red-footed tortoise. Chelonoidis carbonaria (Testudinidae). Also known as redifutu sekrepatu.
sabi 1) v. know. Mi no sabi fa yu e meki boyo. I don’t know how you make boyo. Den sma dati sabi a busi. Noiti den lasi pasi. Those people know the jungle, They never get lost.
2) n. knowledge, science, wisdom.
sabiman n. learned man, expert.
sabiso adj. refers to someone who thinks they know better than others, a know-it-all. A man disi sabiso, yèrè. A e denki tak' a sabi ala sani moro bun moro trawan. This man is a know-it-all. He thinks that he knows everything better than others.
safri 1) ad. softly, quietly (qua sound). A e bro safri tapu a tutu. He is blowing his horn softly. Den pikin e sribi. Waka safri kon na inisei. The children are sleeping. Come inside quietly. ant: tranga.
2) adv. gently, quietly, without a lot of movement. A pikin e sidon safri tapu en m'ma bowtu. The child is sitting quietly on its mother’s lap. A winti e wai safri dineti. The wind is blowing gently tonight. See: tiri1. Variant: saf'safri.
3) adv. slowly. Te yu e rei psa wan skoro, yu mu rei safri. When you drive by a school, you need to drive slowly. ant: tranga; es'esi.
safri nanga idiom. to be careful with something, to make something go a long way. Safri nanga a sukru. A no de fu feni. Go softly on the sugar. It is hard to find. Safri nanga a tafra. Den futu fu en no bun. Be careful with the table. The legs are not sturdy.
safri-ati 1) n. gentleness, meekness. Wan sma di e taki tak' a sabi Gado, mus sori trutru safri-ati na ala sma. Someone who says he knows God, must show true gentleness to all people. syn: safrifasi.
2) adj. gentle. Yu e si den leki safri-ati sma, ma no suku den nanga trobi. Den sabi feti! You see them as gentle people, but don’t mess with them. They can fight!
safrifasi n. gentleness, meekness.
safrisafri adv. very slowly, gradually, little by little. Fa a winti e wai so tranga meki safrisafri mi ben go na fesi. Because the wind was blowing so hard, I could only go forward very slowly. Safrisafri a kondre e go na fesi. The country is moving forward little by little. ant: es'esi. Variant: saf'safri.
saf'safri 1) adv. very softly or quietly (it is more intense than safri). Taki a sani saf'safri meki no wan tra sma no yere. Say it very quietly so that no one can hear.
2) adv. gently, quietly, without a lot of movement. variant of safri.
3) adv. very slowly, gradually, little by little. variant of safrisafri.
safu 1) ad. soft. Poti a broinbontyi ini watra meki a kon safu. Put the brown beans in water so that they will become soft. ant: tranga. See: safri.
2) v. soften. Te yu e bori a meti, a e safu. As you cook the meat, it becomes soft (ie. tender). Yu mu safu den broinbontyi fosi, noso yu mu bori den langa. You need to soften the beans first (by soaking them) or else you’ll have to cook them a long time.
safu wiwiri moderately kinky or curly hair (not difficult to comb). See main entry: safu wiwiri.
safu-ati ad. good hearted, tender-hearted, gracious. Wan mama e kweki den pikin nanga wan safu ati. A mother raises her children with tenderness. Wan mama ati safu gi en pikin. A mother’s heart is tender towards her children. ant: tranga-ati.
saguwenke n. red-handed tamarin. Saguinus midas (Callitrichidae). See: monki.
sai vt. sow (seeds). Na Wageningen den e sai aleisi nanga wan plane. They sow rice in Wageningen with an airplane. See: prani.
saka1 1) n. sack (made of paper, plastic or cloth).
2) n. pocket.
saka2 1) vi. come down, go down, sink, descend, to lower. Di a alen bigin kon, mi saka kmopo fu a bon. When it began to rain, I came down out of the tree. A boto kanti, dan a saka go ondro a watra. The boat capsized and sank. Saka! Get down!
2) vi. land (an airplane). A plane no ben man saka bika a dow ben deki na loktu. The plane could not land because it was too foggy.
3) vi. get off, step out. Mi saka fu a bus na CHM. I got off the bus at CHM.
4) vt. let off. A syèf saka mi na a broki. The driver let me off at the bridge. syn: poti.
5) vt. lower, set down. Mi saka a dosu na gron. I set the box down on the floor.
6) vi. get better, become less intense. A ber'ati saka. My stomachache is better. A korsu e saka. The fever is going down.
7) vt. turn down, lessen (in volume or intensity). Te a merki bigin opo kuku, dan yu mu saka a faya. When the milk begins to boil, then you must turn down the fire. No taki so tranga! Saka yu sten pikinso. Don’t talk so loud! Lower your voice a little.
saka ensrefi vt. humble oneself. Yu mu saka yusrefi gi Masra. You need to humble yourself before the Lord. See: sakasaka.
saka ensrefi vi. go along with, agree with, follow. A no ben wani saka ensrefi na a besroiti. He didn’t want to go along with the decision.
saka ... gi (wan sma) idiom. let someone have it, lay into someone. Fu di en ati ben e bron meki a kosi mi fu soso. Ma mi saka baka gi en. Because he was angry he chewed me out for nothing. But I gave it right back to him.
saka ... ai v. look down, lower one’s eyes. Te yu e taki nanga wan sma, yu no mu saka yu ai. When you speak to someone, you shouldn’t lower your eyes.
saka en skafu calm down, lower one’s tone. See main entry: saka en skafu.
saka ensrefi 1) humble oneself.
2) go along with, agree with, follow. See main entry: saka ensrefi.
saka kindi v. kneel, bow down. Yu a no Gado tak' mi mu saka kindi gi yu! You aren’t God that I should have to bow down to you! See: kindi.
saka-anyisa n. handkerchief.
sakafasi 1) n. respect, humility. Te yu go na fesi krutubakra, yu mus taki nanga sakafasi. When standing before the judge, you must speak with respect. ant: bigimemre; heimemre; bigifasi.
2) adj. humble.
abi sakafasi v. be humble, have humility. ant: abi heimemre.
sakapusu n. an unreliable vehicle, a bucket-of-bolts, a 'lemon'. Usage: called such because you always need to get out (saka) and push (pusu). Variant: sakatrusu.
sakasaka 1) n. crumbs, scraps, pulp, coffee grounds. Te yu kwinsi a merki fu wan kronto, dan yu kan trowe a sakasaka gwe. After you squeeze the milk from the grated coconut, you can throw away the pulp.
2) n. term of abuse: trash. Yu sakasaka yu! You’re nothing but trash!
3) vt. humiliate. Fusanede un e sakasaka unsrefi so? Why do you humiliate each other so?
4) ad. low. Yu na a moro sakasaka sma di mi sabi. You are the lowest person I’ve ever known.
sakasneki n. rattlesnake. Crotalus durissus (Crotalidae).
sakatrusu See main entry: sakapusu. n. an unreliable vehicle, a bucket-of-bolts, a 'lemon'.
sak'duku n. handkerchief. Usage: used more often by young people. syn: saka-anyisa.
saksi n. sawdust, woodchips.
salfu 1) v. anoint; anoint (as used in a church context). Ini a owruten den profeiti ben salfu den man san Gado ben poti leki kownu fu Israelkondre. In the old days the prophets anointed the men whom God had chosen to be kings of Israel.
2) n. special spiritual "anointing" or inspiration for carrying out a particular task in the church (such as preaching).
sali1 n. refers specifically to the level of hemoglobin in the blood, and to the level of other components of the blood in general. Esde di mi go na datra, a dyuku mi na mi finga fu luku efu mi sali bun. Yesterday when I went to the doctor, he pricked my finger to see if my blood is okay. Usage: According to van Donselaar, the term refers to the hemoglobin level in the blood and is derived from the name of the person who developed the method measuring it, Sahli.
samasama n. things, stuff, junk. Mi teki wan sisibi dan mi figi a heri samasama poti na dorosei. I took a broom and swept all the junk outside. See: bagasi; pototo; taitai.
sambo n. a person of mixed ethnicity (usually Negro and Amerindian). See: dogla; malata.
san1 1) interrog. what. San yu e kon du dyaso? What have you come here for (lit: What have you come to do here?)
2) rel. what. Mi no sabi san a boi kon fu du. I don’t know what the boy has come here for.
3) interj. expresses surprise. San! Den pikin kmopo fruku tide na skoro. What! The children are out of school early today.
san2 rel.prn. that. San na den sani san yu e du dape? What is it that you do there? Usage: people usually use di. syn: di.
san meki why. See main entry: san meki.
sanede 1) interrog. why. Sanede yu naki a dagu? Why did you hit the dog? Usage: literally: for what reason. See: san meki. Variant: fu sanede.
2) rel. why. A boi no taigi mi fu sanede a naki a dagu. The boy didn’t tell me why he hit the dog.
sanga-banga v. chew someone out, scold. Di mi kon si tak' den meki mi wakti fu soso sondro fu den yepi mi, mi sanga-banga den. When I realized that they had made me wait for nothing and not helped me, I really chewed them out. syn: kosi1.
sani 1) n. thing, situation. Pe yu poti den sani fu mi? Where have you put my things?
wan sani n. something. Mi fergiti fu libi wan sani gi a pikin. I forgot to leave something for the child.
2) vt. do (fix, arrange, etc). Mi tyari a wagi go na a monteur, ma a no man sani en gi mi. I took the car to the mechanic, but he couldn’t fix it for me. See: meki.
santa adj. holy.
Santa Yeye n. Holy Spirit.
santi 1) n. sand, dirt, fill dirt.
2) adj. having sand in it. A oso santi. The house is dirty. (i.e. it has sand on the floor and other surfaces either blown in by the wind or brought in by shoes and clothing)
3) v. get dirt or sand on something. Noiti den boi disi e figi den futu. Den e santi a heri foroisi. These boys never wipe their feet. They spread dirt through the whole living room dirty.
sapakara n. tegu lizard. Tupinambis nigropunctatus (Teiidae).
sarasara n. any of a variety of shrimp. (O. Decapoda). Morph: redup.
sargi adj. late, deceased.
sari1 1) vt. have pity on, feel sorry for. Mi e sari den siki sma. I feel sorry for the sick people.
2) vi. to be sorry, regret, sad. A boi sari dat a naki en pikin brada. The boy was sorry that he hit his little brother. ant: breiti.
3) vi. mourn, grieve. A boi ben sari di en p'pa dede. The boy mourned when his father died.
4) adj. sad. Di un kon na wroko, un kisi a sari boskopu tak' wantu wrokoman kisi mankeri. When we came to work we got the sad news that some workers were injured.
5) ad. pitifully, sadly. Di a boi luku en mama so sari, a mama bigin krei. When the boy looked at his mother so sadly, she began to cry.
6) n. grief, sorrow, sadness. Baka di domri taki nanga a famiri, den fergiti ala sari èn den tapu nanga krei. After the pastor spoke to the family, they forgot their grief and dried their tears.
sari2 ad. enough. A nyanyan disi sari. This food is enough. Awinsi a kon begi mi tapu en kindi, a no o sari gi mi. Even if he comes and begs me on his knees, it will not be enough for me. syn: nofo.
sari-ati ad. compassion, pity. A man dati no abi sari-ati nanga no wan sma. That man has pity on no one. See: sari1. Spelling variation: sar'ati
sarki n. any of various kinds of sharks. (O. Selachii).
sasi v. rummage, ransack. Suma go sasi ini mi kros'kasi? Who went and rummaged around in my closet?
satra n. Saturday. See table under: wiki1.
sawarinoto n. souari nut. Caryocar nuciferum (Caryocaraceae). Also known as nengrenoto. See: noto.
se n. sea, ocean.
se watra n. Den meki sroisi fu se watra no kan kon ini a den kriki. They build sluice gates so that seawater cannot come into the creeks.
sebiyari See main entry: seibiyari. n. lima bean.
sebiyaribonki See main entry: seibiyari. n. lima bean.
sedre 1) n. cedar wood. (it is used extensively in wood carvings done by the Bush Negroes).
2) n. cedar; cedar tree. Cedrela odorata (Meliaceae). (so named because of the similarities the wood shares with that of cedar trees from the region around the Mediterranean Sea).
sei 1) n. side. Sortu sei fu a pasi yu e tan? Which side of the street do you live on? syn: kanti; lanki.
ala sei ad. everywhere, every part. Den panya a nyunsu na ala sei. They spread the news everywhere. See: alape.
dat' sei ad. over there, that way. Mi si a e go na dat' sei. I see him going over there. Te yu kba dya, dan yu mu go na dat' sei. When you are finished here, then you must go over there.
dis' sei ad. this side, this way. Den e kruipi kon dis' sei. They are crawling this way.
tra sei ad. other side.
2) n. side. Wan pen e nyan mi na mi sei. I’ve got a pain in my side that’s killing me. syn: seibere.
3) prep. beside. Mi e go sidon ondro a bon sei a oso. I’m going to sit under the tree beside the house.
-sei suf. In words where -sei is the second element, it serves to indicate general location or direction. e.g. fotosei 'in the direction of the city'.
seibere n. side. Ala skowtu e waka nanga en pipa na en seibere. Every policeman patrols with his pistol at his sides.
seibi num. seven. See table under: nomru.
seibitenti num. seventy. See table under: nomru.
seibiyari n. lima bean. Phaseolus lunatus (Papilionaceae). Variant: sebiyari; sebiyaribonki.
sei-ede n. side of the head. Efu a hari wan tyuri, mi o naki en na en sei-ede. If he makes a "tyuri", I will knock him on the side of his head.
seifesi n. cheek. A winiman kisi wan bosi na ala en tu seifesi. The winner got a kiss on both cheeks.
seigi 1) v. bless. syn: blesi.
2) n. blessing.
seimofo 1) n. corner of the mouth.
2) n. inside of the cheek. Di a ben e nyan, a beti en seimofo. While he was eating, he bit the inside of his cheek.
seiri 1) v. sail.
2) n. sail.
3) v. walk like a drunk.
4) v. throw hard. M'o seiri yu wan klap! I’m going to throw a punch at you! See: iti; fringi.
seiriboto n. sailboat.
seirisaka n. burlap bag.
seisei n. side, edge. Te na seisei a man rei kon naki mi. The man drove to the edge of the road to hit me. syn: kanti; lanki.
sekanti 1) n. shore, beach. Te neti den krape e kon na sekanti fu meki eksi. The sea turtles come to shore at night to lay their eggs. syn: syoro.
2) n. out to sea. Den fisiman go na sekanti kba. The fishermen have already gone out to sea.
seki v. shake, wobble. Sheila no man sidon sondro a no seki en futu. Sheila can’t sit without shaking her legs. syn: degedege.
seki ... ede nod ones head. See main entry: seki ... ede.
seki ... mofo speak. See main entry: seki ... mofo.
sekiwatra n. storm, turbulent sea. A sekiwatra kon so hebi dat a boto ben de fu sungu. The storm was so bad that the boat almost sunk. See: skwala.
sekrepatu n. any of a variety of turtles and tortoises. (Chelidae), (Emydidae), (Testudinidae).
sek'seki 1) n. rattle, maracas. Morph: redup.
2) v. be unstable; be rough or turbulent (water). Fu di wan fu den futu fu a tafra syatu, meki a e sek'seki pikinso. Because one of the legs of the table is short, it wobbles a little. Son sma frede fu go ini wan kruyara te a watra e sek'seki. Some people are afraid to go in a canoe when the water is rough.
3) v. shake back and forth. Den boi sek'seki a bon te leki den lepi manya fadon. The boys shook the tree back and forth until the ripe mangoes fell out.
seku n. manatee. Trichechus manatus (Trichecidae).
sek'watra n. turbulent water (on the sea or river).
sèm ad. same. Mi nanga mi brada abi a sèm oto. My brother and I have the same car. See: srefi; speri1.
semprefisi n. aloe. Aloe barbadensis (Agavaceae).
seni v. send. Fa yu kan seni so wan pikin boi go na foto nanga someni moni? How could you send such a young boy to town with so much money? Mi seni tu brifi kba go na kantoro, ma te nanga now mi no kisi no wan piki. I have sent two letters to the office already, but I still haven’t gotten an answer.
seni gwe v. No broko yu ede nanga den boi. Seni den gwe. Don’t bother with the boys. Send them away.
seni kari call, summon. See main entry: seni kari.
sensi1 1) n. cent, penny. Fosten yu ben kan bai dri pisi ksababrede fu feifi sensi. You used to be able to buy three pieces of cassava bread for five cents. See table under: moni.
2) n. money. Mi no abi sensi. I don’t have any money. syn: moni.
sensi2 conj. since. Sensi esde mi abi ber'ati. I’ve had a stomachache since yesterday.
senwe 1) n. nerve. Efu den senwe ini yu anu koti, dan yu no man firi nanga yu finga moro. If the nerves in your hand are cut, then you can’t feel with your fingers anymore.
2) n. a nervous disorder, it can make a person shake, etc. Sensi a wagi naki a boi, a boi abi senwe. Ever since the car hit the boy, he has had a nervous disorder.
3) n. nervousness, anxiety. Na senwe meki a boi no man piki a skowtu. Nervousness made the boy unable to answer the policeman.
4) v. be nervous. Di un ben meki examen, mi ben senwe a heri dei dati. When we were taking our exams, I was nervous that whole day.
seri 1) v. sell. Fa yu e seri watramun? How much are the watermelons? (Literally: How do you sell watermelons?)
2) v. betray, sell out, cause the opposing team to win on purpose. Yu seri a plei! You sold the game! Yudas seri Yesus gi den dyudomri fu dritenti solfrumoni. Judas betrayed Jesus to the Jewish priests for thirty silver coins. See: konkru.
seriman n. salesman, merchant, trader.
seryusu ad. serious.
sesei-aka n. swallow-tailed kite. Elanoides forficatus (Accipitridae). Also known as sipifowru.
sespari n. salt-water stingray. Dasyatis guttata, Dasyatis schmardae, Dasyatis geyskesi (Dasyatidae).
seti 1) v. arrange, set in order. Efu mi brada tori seti, dan a no drai kon moro. If my brothers affairs get settled, then he won’t come back anymore.
2) v. set. Seti a oloisi tapu aiti yuru. Set the clock at eight o’clock.
seti libi live together independently. See main entry: seti libi.
setkoiri n. whitlow; an infection (called whitlow or felon) around the fingernail.
si v. see. Di un no si en wantu dei, un go fisiti en. Because we did not see him for a few days, we went to visit him. Yu kan si tak' a man disi no teki skoro. You can see that this man has not gone to school.
kon si v. realize, recognize, come to see. Mi kon si tak' yu abi leti. I have come to see that you are right.
sibi vt. sweep. See: figi; sisibi.
sibibusi n. downpour, storm. gen: alen.
sidon vi. sit. Den pikin e sidon tapu a bangi. The children are sitting on the bench. Spelling variation: sdon
tan sidon idiom. fail a grade in school, flunk. A boi tan sidon ini a tweede klas. The boy flunked the second grade. syn: tan poko.
sidon baka trarki be in jail. See main entry: sidon baka trarki.
sigara n. cigar.
sika n. sand flea, jigger. Tunga penetrans (Tungidae, O. Siphonaptera). The adult female bores into the skin of people and animals to lay eggs. See: sneisi2.
siki 1) adj. sick, ill. Fu di a boi fu mi siki, mi no seni en go na skoro tide. Because my son is sick, I didn’t send him to school today. ant: gesontu.
2) vi. be sick, become sick. Te yu siki, a no switi. When you are sick, it’s no fun. Tide mi kisi wan brifi fu mi omu taki a e siki. Today I received a letter from my uncle saying that he is sick. Efu yu prei ini a alen, yu o siki. If you play in the rain you’ll get sick.
3) vt. make sick. Doti watra kan siki yu te yu e dringi en. Dirty water can make you sick if you drink it.
4) v. make someone "lovesick". Di mi si a pikin, a siki mi. When I saw the girl, it was love at first sight.
5) n. sickness, disease. Efu yu no luku bun nanga a siki disi, a kan kiri yu. If you aren’t careful with this sickness, it can kill you. Sicknesses are classified as datrasiki and nengresiki. See: dyomposiki.
sikibedi n. sickbed, lying sick in bed. A e didon tapu sikibedi. He is lying sick in bed (lit: he is lying on his sickbed).
sikiman n. someone who is sick.
sikisiki 1) v. to be frequently sick, ill, or unwell. Sensi a pikin disi gebore, a e sikisiki. Since this child was born, she has been sickly.
2) adj. handicapped or retarded. Suma e krei so? A sikisiki pikin fu sei. Who is crying like that? The handicapped child next door. Morph: redup.
sikisma n. someone who is sick. syn: sikiman.
sikiwan n. a person or animal that is sick. Luku bun te yu e bai pikin fowru tak' den no gi yu sikiwan. Be careful when you buy baby chickens that they do not give you sick ones.
siksi num. six. See table under: nomru.
siksikanti n. leatherback (a kind of sea turtle). Dermochelys coriacea (Dermochelidae). Also known as ait'kanti. See: krape.
siksitenti num. sixty. See table under: nomru.
siksiyuru n. cicada, harvest fly. (Cicadidae, O. Homoptera). Also known as sinsin.
sili n. soul. Usage: usually associated with church language. See: kra; dyodyo.
sin ideophone. high-pitched whistle or noise, e.g. from a tuning fork. Usage: the n is drawn out when spoken.
singi 1) v. sing.
2) n. song, musical piece.
singibuku n. song book.
singiman n. singer.
sinsin1 n. tambourine. Morph: redup.
sinsin2 n. cicada, harvest fly. (Cicadidae, O. Homoptera). Also known as siksiyuru.
sinsyart See main entry: syinsyart. n. slingshot, catapult.
sipi n. ship. Odo: Libisma e meki barki, ma Gado e bow en sipi. Proverb: People make their plans, but God decides what will happen. (Lit: People make beams, but God builds his ship.) See: boto; kruyara; pondo; barki3.
sipifowru n. swallow-tailed kite. Elanoides forficatus (Accipitridae). Also known as sesei-aka.
sipiman n. sailor. syn: matrosi.
siri n. seed (small, as in flower seeds), pit, kernel. See: koko1.
siri-bredebon n. breadfruit. Artocarpus altilis (Moraceae). The fruit has spines on the peel and seeds inside. See: bredebon.
sisa n. sister. See table under: famiriman. Spelling variation: s'sa
sisei n. scissors. No priti a papira; koti en nanga a sisei. Don’t tear the paper. Cut it with scissors. Spelling variation: s'sei, sesei
sisibi n. broom. See: sibi. Spelling variation: s'sibi
skafu 1) v. plane (as with wood); shave (as in ice); skin or scrape (one’s knee, elbow, etc).
2) n. plane (for smoothing wood).
saka en skafu idiom. calm down, lower one’s tone. Di mi bigin taki nanga en, a kon saka en skafu. When I started speaking to her, she began to calm down.
skapu n. sheep. Ovis aries (Capridae).
skapububa n. sheepskin.
skapuloiri n. two-toed sloth. Choloepus didactylus (Bradypodidae). Also known as tufinga-loiri. See: loiri.
skapuman n. shepherd.
skapupen n. sheepfold.
skarki n. a shallow bowl. See: koba; komki.
skedrei n. picture.
skefti1 1) v. sour (as with milk); spoil (for items preserved in vinegar). Efu yu go nanga doti spun ini a batra, a swasani o skefti. If you use a dirty spoon to dish out the pickles, they will spoil.
2) adj. sour. Mi m'ma no e trowe skefti merki. A e meki toffee fu en. My mother does not pour out sour milk. She makes toffee from it.
skefti2 v. barely miss, graze. Di mi si a ston e kon, mi dòk, dan a skefti psa mi ede. When I saw the rock coming, I ducked and it grazed my head.
skempi vi. taunt, jeer, scoff. Di den si tak' mi weri wan nyun empi kon na wroko, den bigin skempi taki: A gersi tak' wan sma wini a lotto. When they saw me wearing a new shirt to work, they began to taunt me saying: It looks like someone has won the lottery. See: dreigi.
skepi v. brag, boast. Monki skepi taki a e rei Tigri fa mi wani. Monkey boasted that he rides Tiger whenever he wants.
sketnoto n. physic nut, purging nut, Barbados nut. Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae). See: noto.
skin 1) n. body. Mi skin weri. I’m tired (lit: my body is tired). Mi e go wasi mi skin. I’m going to take a bath (lit: wash my body).
hari ... skin idiom. massage. Mi mama hari mi skin nanga oli fu di a ben hati mi. My mother massaged my body with lotion because it hurt.
hari ... skin idiom. spank, whip. Mi o hari yu skin te mi e kon na oso. I’m going to whip you when I get home.
krin skin n. presentiment, have a feeling ahead of time that something will happen. A sma dati abi krin skin, baya. A sabi oten wan sma wani du wan sani nanga en. That person is pretentious. He knows when someone wants to do something to him.
abi krin skin idiom. always be lucky.
priti ... skin v. give someone a whipping. Di mi kon lati na oso, mi p'pa priti mi skin. When I came home late, my father gave me a whipping. See: fonfon.
skin ... piki idiom. have a premonition. Mi skin e piki mi tak' wan sani o psa. I have a feeling that something is going to happen.
weri skin vi. make tired. A wroko e weri skin. The work tires me out. syn: yere skin.
weri skin n. fatigue, tiredness. A: Sanede yu e sidon so? B: Baya, na weri skin nomo. A: Why are you sitting there like that? B: Because I’m tired out.
yere skin idiom. annoying, a pain in the neck. A boi disi yere skin! Solanga son no piri tifi, a no e kmoto fu en bedi. This boy is a pain in the neck! He will not get out of bed until the sun is hot.
2) n. skin, hide (human or animal). Mi skin drei. My skin is dry. syn: buba.
3) n. outer wall, surface (of a house, car, etc.). Tamara mi e go wasi a ososkin. Tomorrow I’m going to wash the outside of the house. Fosi wan brantmiri ben fasi na sei a kukruskin. In the old days a cooking platform was built against the outside wall of the cook house. Usage: skin in this usage may be attached to a head word (e.g. oso-, kukru-, bergi-) or occur separately in the noun phrase.
skin-ati n. bodily pain. Mi no ben man sribi nanga ala a skin-ati. I couldn’t sleep because of all the pain.
skiti n. sperm.
skoifi v. move, by a sliding motion, push. Skoifi a kasi go ini a uku. Push the cabinet into the corner. Skoifi pikinso meki mi sidon na yu sei. Move over a little so I can sit next to you.
skoifineki n. any of various kinds of fresh-water turtles, so named because they do not pull their head straight into their shell but on on side. Also known as kron-neki.
1) n. twist-neck turtle. Platymus platycephala (Chelidae).
2) n. gibba turtle, humpbacked turtle. Phrynops gibbus (Chelidae).
3) n. toad-headed turtle. Phrynops nasutus (Chelidae).
skoinsi adj. slanting, not straight, at an angle. Suma meki a tafra? A e tnapu skoinsi. Who made this table? It doesn’t stand up straight. A bon fadon skoinsi abra a strati. The tree fell at an angle across the street. Skoinsi abra a kerki mi e tan. I live catercorner from the church. From: NL. Etym: schuins .
afu skoinsi adj. at a slight angle. Poti a teevee afu skoinsi meki mi kan si en moro bun. Set the television at a bit of an angle so that I can see it better.
skoinsi-ai n. a glare out of the corner of the eye. Sanede yu e luku mi wan skoinsi-ai? Mi no du yu noti. Why do you glare at me like that? I didn’t do anything to you. Usage: indicates anger. syn: sker'ai.
skopu1 v. kick.
skopu en fara idiom. get ahead in life. Efu yu no leri bun na skoro, yu no o skopu en fara. If you don’t learn well at school, you will not get very far in life.
skopu2 n. spade, shovel. See: krimneri.
diki skopu idiom. dig ditches. Mi p'pa taki tak' efu yu no wani leri na skoro, yu o diki skopu. My father says if you don’t want to learn at school, you’ll dig ditches.
skoro 1) n. school.
2) v. instruct. Mi skoro yu san yu mus taki. I instructed you in what you should say.
teki skoro idiom. go to school. Yu kan si tak' a man disi no teki skoro. A no man skrifi en eigi nen. You can see that this man has not gone to school. He cannot write his own name.
skoro-ifrow n. a female elementary or junior high school teacher. syn: skoromisi.
skoromeister n. a male elementary or junior high school teacher.
skoromisi n. a female elementary or junior high school teacher.
skoropapira n. diploma. Te yu e go suku wroko, yu mu tyari ala yu skoropapira. When you look for a job, you need to have all your diplomas with you.
skoropikin n. school-aged child (up to and including junior high age).
skotriki1 n. saucer. cpart: kopi.
skotriki2 n. used to refer to Dutch soldiers in the colonial army. See: srudati.
skotu 1) n. fence. Den man mesre brokobatra tapu a skotu. They cemented broken glass on top of the wall.
2) v. build a fence. Yu mu skotu a dyari tapu pe den kaw e waka kon inisei. You need to put up a fence where the cows come inside.
skotu lontu v. enclose, build a fence around. Te den kba bow a oso, den o skotu a heri dyari lontu. When they finish building the house, they will build a fence around the whole yard.
3) v. put an end to a conversation or subject. Baka di den taki go taki kon, den skotu a tori. After they had talked and talked over the matter, they ended the discussion.
4) v. leave out or ignore, have nothing to do with someone. Fosi un nanga den sma fu sei ben de bun mati, ma now un skotu den. We used to be good friends with the neighbors, but now we have nothing to do with them. Suma wi o kari kon? Un kan kari ala sma kon, ma w'o skotu Hennie. Who will we invite? You can invite everyone, but we will leave out Hennie.
skowru n. shoulder.
hari ... skowru idiom. shrug one’s shoulders.
skowtu 1) n. police. A tori disi yu musu tya go na skowtu. This affair you need to take to the police.
2) n. police officer. A skowtu san e waka dape na wan omu fu mi. The policeman walking there is an uncle of mine.
skowt'uma n. policewoman.
skowtu-oso n. police station. syn: lontu-oso. Spelling variation: skowt'oso
skrati 1) n. hot cocoa, chocolate milk. See: fayawatra.
2) n. cocoa; unsweetened chocolate. See: ososkrati; puiriskrati; sukruskrati.
skreki1 1) vt. frighten, startle, surprise. No skreki a pikin. A no bun. Don’t frighten the child. It isn’t good.
2) vi. be frightened or surprised. Di a fufuruman si skowtu, a skreki dan a lon. When the thief saw the police, he was frightened and ran away. Mi skreki di mi si someni sma na a friyari-oso. I was surprised to see so many people at the birthday party.
3) n. fright. Na skreki meki a fadon flaw. He fainted from fright.
tapu skreki idiom. instill fear in someone, threaten, scare. Di Ernest no ben wani du san Robby taki, Robby tapu skreki gi en tak' a o taigi en frow. When Ernest did not want to do what Robby said, Robby filled him with fear by telling him he would tell his wife.
skreki2 1) v. sear meat, fish or chicken by frying it a short while (it is not completely cooked, as in a rare steak). Fosi yu poti a fowru ini a pom, i mu skreki en pikinso. Before you put the chicken in the pom, you should fry it a little. See: baka2.
2) v. heat up. A: Mi no nyan a sani so kowru. B: We, dan yu e skreki en pikinso. A: I don’t want to eat it cold. B: Well, heat it up a little then. Usage: usually used for chicken, fish or meat.
skrifi 1) vt. write. Yu mu skrifi yu nen tapu a buku. Write your name on the book.
2) vi. be written. Mi no man leisi san skrifi ini a buku. I can not read what is written in the book.
skrifiman 1) n. author, writer. Mi sabi a buku san yu e taki, ma mi no sabi a skrifiman. I know the book you are talking about, but I do not know the author.
2) n. in the early days it referred to a clerk on a plantation.
skrobu v. scrub. Yu abi fu skrobu den patu, meki den patu kon krin. You need to scrub the pots to get them clean. syn: skuru. From: NL. Etym: schrobben .
skropu n. seashells. (Phylum Mollusca). primarily those of bi-valve mollusks. The shells of gastropods (such as snails) are referred to as pakro. Skropu is used in yards and in making roads because it forms a hard surface that drains well. See: pakro.
skrufu1 1) n. screw, bolt. See: bowtu2.
2) v. screw. Skrufu a batra tapu gi mi. Screw the lid on the jar for me.
skrufu2 n. joint (of the body). Di mi fadon fu a trapu, mi skowru kmopo fu en skrufu. When I fell from the stairs, I dislocated my shoulder (lit: my shoulder came out of its joint.)
skuma 1) n. foam, suds, scum. A sopo disi bun gi a wasmachine bika a no e gi furu skuma. This soap is good for the washing machine because it does not make a lot of suds.
2) v. to foam, to suds. Te a biri kowru bun, a no e skuma. If the beer is real cold, it does not foam.
kuku skuma idiom. ferment (said of something that is producing foam). No dringi a dyindyabiri. A e kuku skuma. Don’t drink the ginger beer. It has started to ferment.
sopo skuma n. soapsuds.
skurki n. black-bellied tree duck. Dendrocygna autumnalis (Anatidae).
skuru 1) v. scrub, scrape, scour, sand. Un ben go na libasei fu go skuru den patu. We went to the side of the river to scrub the pots. See: skrobu. From: NL. Etym: schuren .
2) v. speak abusively. Esde bakadina Henna skuru en birfrow. Yesterday afternoon Henna really cussed out her neighbor. See: kosi1.
skwala n. wave, swell. Bigi skwala ben naki kon ini a boto. Giant waves crashed into the boat.
sma n. person, human being. Dyaso sma no e sidon tapu wan tafra. In this place people don’t sit on tables. syn: libisma; spec: man1; uma; pikinnengre.
ala sma n. everyone. Ala sma di tapu tin-na-siksi yari mus fu meki wan ID-karta. Everyone must get an ID card when they turn sixteen.
dorosei sma n. foreigner.
ibri sma n. each person. Ibri sma di tapu tin-na-siksi yari mus fu meki wan ID-karta. Each person must get an ID card when they turn sixteen. ibri sma puts more emphasis on the individual person than ala sma.
iniwan sma n. each and every person. Iniwan sma di tapu tin-na-siksi yari mus fu meki wan ID-karta. Each and every person must get an ID card when they turn sixteen. iniwan sma puts an even stronger emphasis on each individual person than ibri sma.
iniwan sma n. whoever, anyone. Yu kan kon nanga iniwan sma. You can come with whoever you like.
son sma n. some people. Son sma no lobi dansi. Some people don’t like to dance.
-sma suf. In compound words where the head word is an adjective it is used to refer to a person having that quality, e.g. dedesma 'a dead person', granisma 'an old person'. When the head word is a noun indicating a place or a group of people, then it refers to a person from that place or group, e.g. fotosma 'city person', bus'kondresma 'someone from the interior'.
smara 1) ad. narrow. A pasi smara fu waka. The path is too narrow to walk on. ant: bradi. See: fini.
2) adj. small, tight. A bruku smara gi mi. The pants are too tight for me. ant: bigi. See: pikin1.
smenti n. cement. Spelling variation: sementi
smeri 1) vt. smell. Smeri a nyanyan gi mi efu a no swa. Smell the food for me to see if it is spoiled.
2) vi. give off aroma or a stench, reek. A nyanyan fu yu e smeri switi! Your food smells delicious! A oso e smeri moismoisi. The house smells of mice.
3) n. smell, stench, odor, aroma. A switi smeri fu a nyanyan furu a heri oso. The delicious aroma of the food filled the whole house.
smeti n. smith, metalworker.
smoko 1) v. smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.).
2) v. give off smoke. Yu mu tyari a wagi fu yu go meki. A e smoko. You need to get your car fixed. It is smoking. syn: puru smoko.
3) v. preserve or flavor with smoke. Den fisman e smoko afu fu den fisi fu hori den moro langa. The fishermen smoke part of their catch to preserve it.
4) n. smoke, steam. A smoko fu a sigara fu yu no e smeri switi. The smoke from your cigar does not smell nice. M'ma, a watra bori kba. A ketre e puru smoko. Mama, the water is boiling already. The kettle is giving off steam.
5) adj. smoked. Moksi aleisi switi nanga smoko fowru. "Moksi aleisi" is delicious when it is prepared with smoked chicken.
6) v. disappear, vanish. Di skowtu kon fu teki a boi, a ben smoko. When the police came to take the boy, he had vanished.
smokopatu 1) n. smoke pot used to drive away mosquitos. Te maskita lai dan opa e leti wan smokopatu. Whenever there are lots of mosquitos, grandpa lights a smoke pot.
2) n. euphemism for a car that smokes a lot.
smuru1 1) v. sweat or feel oppressed as a result of being in a closed in area with no ventilation. Den awara smuru ini a saka. The awaras sweat in the bag. Efu yu tapu a oso, yu o smuru na ini en. If you close up the house, you will suffocate inside. syn: sweti.
2) v. become thoroughly damp with steam or humidity. Fosi mi mama e triki krosi a e nati den, a e domru den, dan a e tapu den meki den smuru. Before my mother irons clothes she wets them, rolls them up, then she covers them to let them become damp throughout.
3) v. cook meat or fish over a low fire in a covered pan with a little water. See: stofu.
smuru2 n. mouth (used derogatorily as in 'shut your trap').
snapu See main entry: tnapu. v. stand.
sneiri n. tailor. syn: kleri.
Sneisi1 1) n. Chinese.
2) adj. Chinese.
sneisi2 n. flea. Pulex irritans (Pulicidae, O. Siphonaptera).
sneisi puiri 1) n. medicinal powder used for headaches, flu symptoms, toothache, etc.
2) n. a kind of spice.
sneisi-alatria Chinese vermicelli. See main entry: sneisi-alatria.
sneisitaya n. taro, a kind of edible tuber (known elsewhere in the Caribbean as eddo or coco). Colocasia esculenta (Araceae).
sneki n. any of a variety of snakes. (Suborde serpentes).
snekimarkusa n. a small wild-growing kind of passion fruit; it has small orange fruit with a white covering that looks something like a net. Passiflora foetida (Passifloraceae). See: markusa.
snoifi 1) v. sniff. Yu no mu snoifi a frikowtu go na inisei. Quit sniffling (lit: don’t sniff the mucus inside). ant: snoiti.
snoiti v. blow one’s nose. See: snoifi.
snorku v. snore.
so 1) conj. so, therefore, as a result; then. Tamara mi mu go na datra. So, i no abi fu kon na wroko. Tomorrow I need to go to the doctor. So you don’t have to come to work.
2) ad. so. Na so yu mus du a sani. You must do it like so. So a de. That’s the way it is. (lit: So is it.)
3) ad. EMP. Disi na a fosi leisi san mi si so bigi awara. This is the first time I have seen such big awaras.
sobun 1) conj. in other words. Ini a ten fosi maspasi, sobun ini a srafuten, den srafu ben mus fu wroko tranga. In the time before emancipation, in other words in the time of slavery, the slaves had to work hard.
2) conj. sometimes. Den ben prei fu hebi moni. Sobun den ben prei fu wan srafu. They played for a lot of money. Sometimes they played for a slave.
sodro n. upstairs, attic. Den sma lobi fu sribi na sodro bika a winti e wai switi drape. People prefer to sleep upstairs because there the wind blows nicely. ant: gron. See: ondrosei.
sofasi cj. thus, in such a way. Yu mu tan du a wroko soleki fa mi sori yu. Sofasi yu no o kon ini problema. You must keep doing the job just like I showed you. In that way you won’t have problems.
soi ad. boring, dull.
soifri ad. pure.
soigi v. suck. A pikin e soigi tapu en doi. The child is sucking on her thumb.
soigi gwe v. soak up, soak into. Baka a bigi alen san fadon, a gron soigi a watra gwe es'esi. After the heavy rain that fell, the ground soaked up the water quickly. See: hari1.
sokekwikwi n. a kind of fresh-water armored catfish. Hoplosternum littorale (Callichthyidae). Also known as hei-ede-kwikwi.
soktu 1) v. sigh. Di mi ferteri en san psa, a no taki noti. A soktu nomo. When I told him what happen, he said nothing. He only sighed.
2) n. sigh. Odo: Efu soktu no ben de, ati ben sa priti. Proverb: A sigh brings relief to the heart. See: dyeme.
solanga 1) conj. as long as. Solanga sopi de, den man o tan na un tapu. As long as there is liquor, the men are not going to leave. Solanga a no pai mi, mi no o gi en san a mus kisi. As long as he does not pay me, I won’t give him what he deserves (i.e. Until he pays me...).
2) conj. whenever, every time. Solanga mi e si en, mi e fon en Whenever I see him, I beat him.
soleki conj. such as. Someni sani ben de fu nyan, soleki her'heri, moksi-aleisi, losi fowru, kari kon. There were so many things to eat, such as her’heri, moksi-aleisi, baked chicken, and so forth.
soleki fa cj. just as, in the same way. Soleki fa mi ben seti a tafra, na so yu mus seti en. Just as I set the table, so you must set it. A psa soleki fa mi taigi yu. It happened just like I told you.
solfru 1) n. silver. Variant: sorfu.
2) adj. silver, made of silver.
solfrumoni n. silver coin.
solfrusmeti n. silversmith.
someni 1) ad. so many, so much. A abi someni moni, tak' a no sabi san a mus du nanga en. She has so much money that she doesn’t know what to do with it. From: Eng. Etym: so many .
2) ad. very much, so much. Mi no lobi bontyi someni. I don’t like green beans very much. syn: so furu.
someni langa ad. a long time ago, for a long time now. Mi taigi yu someni langa kba, ma yu no ben wani arki. I told you a long time ago already, but you would not listen.
son1 n. sun. See: mun.
son2 ad. some. Yu no e ferstan son sani te bigisma taki. You don’t understand some things when old people speak. ant: no wan.
son leisi sometimes. See main entry: son leisi.
son sma some people. See main entry: son sma.
son ten sometimes. See main entry: son leisi.
son tron sometimes. See main entry: son leisi.
sonde n. Sunday. See table under: wiki1.
sonde wowoyo market held on Sundays, usually outside of town. See main entry: sonde wowoyo.
sondro adv. without. ant: nanga.
sondu n. sin.
sondusma n. sinner.
sonloiri n. three-toed sloth. Bradypus tridactylus (Bradypodidae). Also known as drifinga-loiri. See: loiri.
sonte ad. maybe, perhaps. Den pikin no ben de tumsi bigi ete, sonte aiti nanga tin yari. The children were not very old yet, maybe eight and ten years old. Usage: archaic; younger speakers confuse it with son ten. syn: kande.
sonwan rel.prn. some.
sopi 1) n. any strong alcoholic beverage. syn: bita; oli. See: biri.
2) n. rum. Sopi e meki fu sukru. Rum is made from sugar.
sopibere n. beer belly. Te yu e dringi furu biri yu o kisi wan sopibere. If you drink too much beer, you will get a beer belly.
sopikuku n. rum cake.
sopiman n. a drunkard, alcoholic.
sopo n. soap.
swit'sopo n. fragrant bath soap. (with a nice smell, as opposed to household cleaning soap).
wan pisi sopo idiom. a bar of soap.
sopo skuma soapsuds. See main entry: sopo skuma.
sopo watra soapy water. See main entry: sopo watra.
sopropo n. carilla (a kind of bitter vegetable), it is about the size of a cucumber and the skin has a rough texture. Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae).
sor’ai See main entry: soro-ai. n. eye infection.
sorfu See main entry: solfru. n. silver.
Sorgu n. Zorg en Hoop, a housing project in greater Paramaribo.
sorgu 1) v. care for. Ala dei Hettie e sorgu taki a kofi de klari. Every day Hettie makes sure that the coffee is ready. Efu yu no man sorgu wan pikin, no go meki. If you can’t care for a child, don’t have one.
2) n. worries, cares. No weri den sorgu fu disi ten na yu ede. Don’t carry the worries of this time on your shoulders (lit: on your head).
sori 1) v. show. Olati a oloisi e sori? What time does the clock show? Sori mi pe a kerki de. Show me where the church is.
2) v. teach someone a lesson. M'o sori en te mi go na oso! I’ll show him (i.e. teach him a lesson) when I get home! Usage: used figuratively in expressing anger.
3) v. seem like, appear as. A no e sori taki a man disi owru. It doesn’t seem like this man is old. A sori leki Transvaal o wini. It looks like Transvaal will win. See: gersi.
soro 1) n. sore, wound. Lei hati moro soro. A lie hurts more than a wound. See: ati3.
2) v. be infected or painful. Mi neki soro tak' mi no man swari. My throat is so sore that I can hardly swallow. Ala en tu ai soro. Both of his eyes are infected.
diki wan soro pick at a scab, scratch open a wound. Efu yu tan diki a soro, a no o drei. If you keep picking at the wound, it won’t heal. See: krabu1.
soro-ai n. eye infection. Spelling variation: sor'ai
soromarki n. scar.
sorosoro n. sores; many injuries or sores. A gwasiman skin ben lai sorosoro. The leper’s body was full of sores. Morph: redup.
sortu 1) n. kind, sort, species. Omeni sortu froktubon de tapu a dyari? How many kinds of fruit trees are in the yard?
2) interrog. which, what kind. Sortu sma o wini? Which person will win? Sortu gruntu mi mu bai tide? What kind of vegetables should I buy today?
3) rel. which, what kind. Mi no sabi sortu gruntu mi mu bai tide. I don’t know what kind of vegetable I should buy today.
soso 1) ad. just, only. Den abi soso stofusani tapu a tafra. They only have stewed fruits on the table. Morph: redup.
2) adj. empty. Den taigi mi tak' nyanyan de. Ma di mi go ini a botri, mi go miti a s'so patu. They told that there is food. But when I went into the kitchen, I found only an empty pot. A seni a man gwe nanga soso anu. He sent the man away empty-handed. Usage: When used as an adjective, the first vowel is sometimes elided and the consonants pronounced as one long s.
fu soso ad. free, cheap. Den e seri den buku fu soso. They are selling the books for almost nothing. Un kisi den batra fu soso. We got the bottles free.
fu soso ad. for nothing, the desired results were not attained. Fu soso mi bai den preisani gi den pikin. I bought the toys for the children for nothing. Fu soso mi tnapu ini a rei tide. Mi no feni no wan brede. I stood in line for nothing today. I didn’t get any bread.
sosofutu ad. barefooted. Fosi den pikin ben go sosofutu na skoro. Earlier the children went barefoot to school. I no mu waka nanga sosofutu ini a prasi. You shouldn’t walk barefoot in the yard.
sososani n. silly or unimportant things. A e taki wan lo sososani. He says a lot of silly things.
sososkin adj. naked, bare. Weri krosi gi a pikin. Luku, a didon sososkin dape. Put clothes on the child. Look, she’s lying there naked.
sosrefi 1) cj. in addition to, also, in the same way (for the same reason). Di un e go na Galibi, den taigi un tak' un no abi fu tyari sribisani. Sosrefi un no abi fu tyari sani fu nyan. When we went to Galibi they told us that we did not have to take sleeping gear. We also did not have to take food. syn: owktu.
2) cj. including, even. Den srudati kiri ala sma ini a dorpu, sosrefi den umasma nanga pikin-nengre. The soldiers killed everyone in the village, including the women and children.
sote ad. so much, to a high degree, a lot. A frow kosi a man sote dat a man naki en. The woman cussed out the man so much that he hit her.
sowan ad. of the same kind. Mi wani bai sowan oloisi. I want to buy such a watch.
sowsu n. sauce, gravy.
sowt'fisi n. salt fish. syn: batyaw. See: waranfisi; dreifisi; elen; tri; bokun.
sowt'lemki n. salted pickled limes used as a garnish.
sowt'meti n. salted meat.
sowt'meti-owru n. a short straight machete.
sowtu1 1) n. salt. A tori no abi sowtu. The story is not funny (lit: it has no salt).
2) adj. salty. A nyanyan sowtu tumsi. The food is too salty.
3) v. preserve with salt. Te den sutu meti na busi, den e sowtu en fu a tan bun te leki den doro na foto. When people shoot game in the bush, they salt the meat to preserve it until they reach town.
sowtu (wan sma) poti idiom. to wait for the right moment to do or say something to someone.
sowtu2 n. wart.
sowtu3 adj. unlucky. Mi no lobi prei fu moni fu di mi sabi taki mi sowtu. I do not like to play for money because I know that I am unlucky.
sowtu-aleisi n. plain cooked rice served with salt. Mi no ben abi noti fu bori tide, na pikinso sowtu-aleisi nanga oli mi bori. I didn’t have anything to cook today, just a little salt and rice cooked in oil. See: moksi-aleisi; anitriberi.
sowtu-amsoi n. a kind of bitter greens soaked in brine. Yu sabi olanga mi no nyan wan sowtu-amsoi nanga agumeti? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve eaten sowtu-amsoi and pork? Usage: prepared and served like sauerkraut.
sowtusani n. salty snack foods such as chips. A brudu fu yu hei, dan yu sidon e nyan sowtusani let' na datra-oso! You have high blood pressure and still you sit and eat salty snacks at the doctor’s office!
sowtuwatra See main entry: sowt'watra.
sowt'watra n. salt water, brine. Te yu e meki syurkoro dan yu mu sorgu tak' ala a koro de ondro a sowt'watra. When you make sauerkraut, you must be sure that all the cabbage is under the brine. Spelling variation: sowtuwatra
span 1) adj. exciting, tense. A plei fu esde ben span. The game yesterday was exciting.
2) n. excitement, tension. A span fu a plei meki taki mi fergiti a aleisi tapu a faya. The excitement of the game made me forget the rice on the stove.
3) adj. upset, mad. Tu dei langa a span fu di a frow bori antruwa gi en. He was upset for two days because the woman cooked antruwa for him. syn: mandi.
No span! idiom. Don’t worry!
4) v. tighten, stretch out. Efu yu no span a keti, a o dyompo kmopo. If you don’t tighten the chain, it will fall off. Span a titei gi mi. Mi wani anga den krosi. Stretch out the line for me. I want to hang up the wash.
5) adj. tight, full, tense. A bruku span na yu skin. The pants are tight on you. A boto span. The boat is full. Mi ede span. My head is full (I have too much on my mind). or My head is tense (I have a slight headache). Mi bere span. My stomach is full.
6) v. load. Te yu span a gon, dan dati wani taki tak' yu poti lai ini en. When you load a gun, that means you put bullets in it. syn: lai.
7) adj. loaded. Luku bun! A gon span. Be careful! The gun is loaded.
spansfrow n. praying mantis. Stagmatoptera femoralis (Mantidae, O. Mantodea).
Spanyoro 1) n. Spaniard. syn: Spanyoroman.
2) adj. Spanish. Wan Spanyoro boto kon. A Spanish ship arrived.
3) n. Spanish language. Mi no e ferstan den man. Den e taki Spanyoro. I don’t understand the men. They are speaking Spanish.
Spanyorokondre n. Spain.
Spanyoroman See main entry: Spanyoro. n. Spaniard.
spare See main entry: speri2. n. spare tire.
spari n. any of various kinds of stingrays (a distinction is made between fresh-water rays, libaspari, and salt-water rays, sespari). Dasyatus schmardae, Dasyatus guttata, Dasyatus geyskesi, Potamotrygon reticulatus, Potamotrygon motoro (Dasyatidae).
speri1 1) adj. the same, alike, equal. Den tu wagi dati na speri. Den bigi a srefi. The two cars are alike. They are the same size. Ronaldo no abi speri ini heri Sranan. Ronaldo has no equal in all of Suriname.
2) n. the same age group. A man dati n'e arki yonguwan. Soso wan man fu en speri kan taki nanga en. That man won’t listen to young people. Only someone his age can talk to him.
speri2 n. spare tire. Variant: spare. From: Eng. Etym: spare .
spesrei 1) n. spice, seasoning. Yu e poti spesrei ini a nyanyan fu gi en wan switi tesi. You put spices in the food to give it a delicious taste.
2) v. marinate (meat), season. Te wan friyari de, den sma e spesrei den meti wan dei na fesi. When there is a birthday, people marinate the meat a day beforehand.
spesrutu 1) adj. special, specific. Mi frow lobi bori spesrutu nyanyan gi Kresneti. My wife likes to cook special food for Christmas.
2) adv. especially. A buku disi skrifi spesrutu gi pikin-nengre. This book is written especially for children.
spikri1 1) n. nail.
2) v. nail. Mi spikri den lati fasi na a postu. I nailed the planks to the post.
spikri2 n. mirror.
spikrimarki n. scar or hole left by a nail. Inisei fu a oso ben lai nanga spikrimarki. The inside of the house was full of nail holes.
spikri-olo n. nail hole.
spiti 1) v. spit; spit, spit out. Te den boi e nyan watramun, den lobi luku suma man spiti den siri moro fara. Whenever boys eat watermelon, they like to see who can spit the seeds the farthest.
2) n. spittle.
spoiti 1) v. spray, squirt. Mi mu spoiti a sei oso fu kiri den mira. I need to spray the side of the house to kill the ants. Fosi Merlin go na strati, a spoiti pikin switismeri na en sei neki. Before Merlin went out, she sprayed a little perfume on the side of her neck.
2) v. vaccinate, give an injection. Datra spoiti a dresi fu a wroko moro esi. The doctor injected the medicine so that it would work more quickly.
3) n. vaccination, injection. Wan klem spoiti no sari. One tetanus shot is not enough.
naki spoiti v. give an injection. Di mi go na datra, a naki mi tu spoiti. When I went to the doctor, he gave me two shots. syn: gi spoiti.
teki spoiti v. get an injection. Te yu e go na dorosei kondre, yu mu go na BOG go teki spoiti. Before you travel abroad, you must go to the public health department to get vaccinated.
4) n. syringe.
5) v. ejaculate.
sponsu n. sponge.
spot'popki n. something that is mocked or made fun of.
spotu n. joke. A dedeboskopu di mi yere, mi ben denki taki na spotu den e meki. The obituary notice that I heard, I thought they were making a joke.
a no spotu idiom. an exceptional amount, not to be sneezed at. A no spotu alen kon tide! It rained really hard today!
meki spotu nanga v. mock, make fun of, take lightly. A no bun fu spotu nanga Gado. It is not good to mock God. No meki spotu nanga a dagu disi. Don’t take this dog lightly. See: dreigi.
ori ... na spotu idiom. make fun of (someone). A boi disi no abi lespeki. A e ori bigi bigi sma na spotu. This boy has no respect. He makes fun of older people.
spotuman n. joker; someone who makes fun of others.
sprenka n. grasshopper, locust. From: NL. Etym: sprinkhaan .
sproiti v. sprout. Dri dei baka di un sai den siri, den bigin sproiti. Three days after we planted the seeds, they began to sprout. See: pransun.
spuku 1) n. ghost.
2) v. be haunted. A kamra e spuku. The room is haunted.
3) vt. give problems of unknown origin. A wagi e spuku mi. Ala mamanten mi mu feti nanga en fosi a start. I don’t know what the problem is with the car. Every morning I have to fight with it before it will start. syn: dangra.
spun 1) n. spoon. See: forku; nefi.
2) vt. spoon something out. I naf' puru a wiel. I kan spun a banti kon na doro dan yu e lapu en. You don’t have to remove the wheel. You can pull the tube out and patch it. (Literally: You can spoon out the tube...)
spuru v. wash, rinse. Yu kan poti pikinso watra gi mi fu spuru den krosi? Can you put some water (in the tub) so I can rinse the clothes? From: NL. Etym: spoelen .
srafu n. slave. See: katibo.
srafumasra n. slave master, slave owner.
srafumisi n. woman who owns slaves, slave mistress.
srafuten n. slavery, the time of slavery.
srakti v. butcher, slaughter.
sraktiman n. butcher.
srakti-oso 1) n. slaughterhouse.
2) n. butcher shop, meat market. Variant: srakt'oso.
srakt'oso See main entry: srakti-oso.
Sranan 1) n. the country of Suriname. Variant: Sranankondre.
2) adj. Surinamese. Te mi e go na wenkri, mi e bai Sranan sani. Mi no e bai sani fu dorosei kondre. When I go to the store, I buy Surinamese products. I do not buy things from other countries.
3) n. the lingua franca of Suriname. syn: Sranantongo.
Sranankondre n. Suriname. Sranankondre, Sranankondre, mi moi kondre mi lobi yu! Suriname, Suriname, my beautiful country, I love you!
Srananliba n. Suriname river.
Srananman n. Surinamer, Surinamese. Wi de tan Srananman. We are still Surinamers.
Sranansma n. Surinamer, Surinamese people.
Sranantongo n. the lingua franca of Suriname. similar to other English-based Atlantic creole languages. See: Takitaki. Variant: Sranan. Spelling variation: Sranan Tongo
sranga adv. temporarily, for the time being. Mi de dya nanga vakantie. Mi e tan sranga na mi s'sa. I am here on vacation. I am staying temporarily with my sister. Wakti sranga. Mi e kon. Wait a second. I’m coming.
sranti See main entry: asranti. adj. insolent; impudent; sassy; bold; disrespectful; cheeky.
srapu 1) ad. sharp. A owru no srapu. A dede. The machete is not sharp. It is dull. ant: dede2.
2) v. sharpen. Srapu a owru nanga wan feiri. Sharpen the machete with a file.
3) adv. clearly. Oma no e si srapu moro. Grandma does not see clearly anymore. syn: krin.
4) adj. clever, intelligent. A boi disi srapu. Es'esi a e grabu ala sani. This boy is sharp. He understands everything quickly.
srefi 1) adj. same. Ala dei na den srefi sma e kon ferferi unu. Every day the same people come and bother us. syn: sèm.
2) ad. places emphasis on the subject of a sentence. Skowtu srefi no sabi suma fufuru a wagi. Even the police don’t know who stole the car. Yu srefi sabi a sani dati, san wani taki yu lan. You yourself know what it means to be paralyzed. Na en srefi ben mus du ala sani. He himself had to do everything.
srefidensi n. independence. syn: manspasi.
srefsrefi ad. puts emphasis on a statement. Pikinnengre no mag kon ini a wrokopresi srefsrefi. Children may not come in the work area at all (i.e. it is strictly forbidden). Mi lobi dyindyabiri srefsrefi. I really love ginger beer. Morph: redup. Spelling variation: srefisrefi, sref'srefi
sreka v. prepare. A man sreka a dede fu a no pori. The man prepared the body so that it would not decay. Birfrow go sreka en skin fu ogri no miti en. The neighbor woman prepared herself so that no evil would befall her.
sren n. old coin worth 8 cents. Usage: archaic. See table under: moni.
srepi v. drag, tow. Yu no mu opo a hebi kisi. Srepi en go na wan sei. Don’t lift the heavy box. Drag it to one side. A wagi libi mi na pasi. Un ben abi fu srepi en go moro fara. The car broke down on me. We had to tow it further. Sensi di a wagi naki en, a e srepi en wan sei futu. Since he was hit by the car, he drags his one leg.
sriba n. any of a variety of small silver-colored fish used for bait. Hyphessobrycon, Astyanax, Moenkhousia, Tetragonopterus, Poptella, Pristella, Hemigrammus soorten/species (Characidae).
sribi 1) vi. sleep. Tide mi sribi te aiti yuru. Today I slept till eight o’clock.
go sribi vi. go to bed. Den pikin go sribi bika tamara den mus go na skoro. The children went to bed because tomorrow they have to go to school.
2) n. sleep, sleepiness. Baka di a dringi a dresi, a fadon ini wan dipi sribi. After he had taken the medicine, he fell into a deep sleep. Sribi ben kiri mi tide mamanten. Dat meki mi kon lati. I was really sleepy this morning. That is why I came late. (lit: Sleep was killing me this morning...)
sribikamra n. bedroom.
sribikrosi n. blanket or covering, pajamas, nightgown. Odo: Mama na sribikrosi. A no e tapu dede, ma a e tapu syen. Proverb: Mother is like clothes you sleep in. She can’t prevent death, but she can cover up shame.
sribi-papaya n. woven sleeping mat. Variant: papaya2.
sribipe See main entry: sribipresi.
sribipresi n. bed, sleeping mat, place where one sleeps. Variant: sribipe.
sribisani n. sheets and blankets, pajamas etc.
srikasneki n. a kind of scarletsnake. Pseudoboa soorten/species (Colubridae). Also known as ingibangi.
sroisi n. sluice. From: NL. Etym: sluis .
sroiti adj. miserly. A man pe mi ben wroko fosi ben sroiti. The man who I worked for before was miserly. syn: kundu3; gridi.
sroto 1) n. lock. A sroto mu kisi pikinso oli. The lock needs a little oil. Usage: The same word is used for both 'lock' and 'key'. When there is a need to distinguish between the two, the lock is referred to as a mama 'the mother' and the key as a pikin 'the child'.
2) n. key. Mi lasi a sroto. Mi no man opo a doro moro. I lost the key. I can’t open the door anymore.
3) vt. lock. Sroto a doro gi mi. Lock the door for me. You can lock a door in different ways: with a lock and key (sroto), with a metal sliding bolt (greni), with a block of wood that turns on a nail or screw (krampu), with a hook aka, or with a heavy wooden beam (bowtu). ant: opo1.
4) adj. locked. A doro sroto. The door is locked. ant: opo1.
5) v. lock up, put in jail. Skowtu tyari a man go sroto. The police took the man away and locked him up. Sroto a kuku ini a kasi fu den pikin no go na en. Lock the cookies up in the cupboard so that the children can’t get at them.
6) v. be locked up, be in jail. Na tu yari kba di a man sroto. The man has been locked up for two years now.
srudati n. soldier, military. See: legre.
de ini srudati idiom. be a soldier, be in the army. Ala den tu boi fu mi omu de ini srudati. Both of my uncle’s sons are in the army.
srudati kampu military base, bivouac. See main entry: srudati kampu.
stampu1 1) v. pound, mash. Yu e stampu pinda ini wan mata fu meki pindakasi. You pound peanuts in a mortar to make peanut butter.
2) v. stamp one’s feet. No stampu so tapu a trapu! Don’t stamp (your feet) like that on the stairs!
stampu2 adj. stocky, thick-set. See: hipsi.
stampu3 1) v. seal, stamp. Solanga den no stampu a papira, a no abi warti. As long as they haven’t stamped the document, it has no value.
2) n. seal, stamp. Mi ben abi fu tnapu wakti wan heri yuru langa fosi den naki wan stampu tapu a sani. I had to stand and wait for an hour before they placed a stamp on that thing.
stan See main entry: ori stan.
stari n. star.
stegre 1) v. ride a bicycle or a motorized two-wheel vehicle on only the back wheel.
2) v. said of a horse when it rears up on its hind legs.
steifi 1) adj. sturdy, strong, well-built. A wrokopresi e suku wantu steifi yong' boi fu wroko ini a maksin. The company is looking for some strong young men to work in the storeroom. No poti a hebi dosu tapu a tafra dati. A no steifi. Don’t put the heavy box on that table. It is not sturdy. ant: swaki. See: tranga.
2) adj. stiff. Fa mi futu ben tan so langa ini a gips, a kindi kon steifi. Because my leg was so long in the cast, the knee became stiff. From: NL. Etym: stijf .
steisri See main entry: stesre. adj. starched.
stèm v. tune a musical instrument.
sten n. voice. Un yere wan sten, ma un no si no wan sma. We heard a voice, but we did not see anyone.
poti ... sten v. vote. Furu sma no go poti den sten a yari disi. Many people did not go vote this year.
sterapra n. star apple, caimito, goldenleaf tree. Chrysophyllum cainito (Sapotaceae). sometimes referred to simply as apra.
stesre 1) v. starch. Te yu e stesre den krosi, den e tan moro langa. If you put starch in the clothes, they look nicer longer. Fosi yu e tai a anyisa, yu mu stesre a krosi. Before you tie a head covering, you need to starch the cloth. See: goma.
2) adj. starched. Wan lo stesre krosi didon drape san mus triki ete. There is a whole pile of starched clothes there that still need to be ironed. Variant: steisri.
stimofo n. meat, fish and vegetables that is eaten with rice or bread. Den pikin nyan ala a stimofo ini a patu. Mi no wani nyan soso aleisi. The children ate all the meat in the pot. I don’t want to eat plain rice.
stof'sani See main entry: stofusani. n. stewed fruits.
stofu 1) v. cook in a covered pan with a little water; braise, steam. Te yu e stofu fowru, yu e baka en pikinso, yu e poti yu spesrei, yu e kanti pikinso watra gi en, dan yu e tapu a pan meki a stofu te a gari. When you braise chicken, you first fry it a little, then you add your spices and water. After that you cover the pan and let it steam until it’s done. Te yu wani stofu kersi, yu e kuku den kersi fosi, dan yu e poti sukru gi en. If you want to stew cherries, you first boil the cherries, then you add sugar to it. See: bori; baka2; smuru1.
2) adj. braised or steamed (fish, chicken, meat, or vegetables), stewed (fruit). Tide wi o nyan stofu fowru. Today we will eat steamed chicken.
stofukronto n. coconut cooked with sugar (often with pineapple, ginger and almond extract added). syn: krontokuku. See: dosi. Spelling variation: stof'kronto
stofusani n. stewed fruit. Tanta Meta e seri switi stofusani. Aunt Meta sells delicious stewed fruits. Spelling variation: stof'sani
stoipi1 n. seizure, convulsion.
kisi stoipi v. have a seizure or an epileptic fit.
stoipi2 n. tailbone.
stoipi-siki n. epilepsy.
stompu See main entry: tompu. n. stump (of a tree).
ston 1) n. a stone or a concrete building block.
2) adj. made out of stone, but usually referring to something made from concrete block.
broko ston n. broken cement block. Te den kba broko a skotu, dan wi o furu den olo ini a strati nanga den broko ston. When they have finished breaking down the wall, then we will fill the holes in the street with the broken stones.
stonbangi n. a bench made of concrete.
stonbanti n. jockstrap, athletic supporter.
stonfutu 1) n. foundation stones that were used earlier to support the floor beams under wooden houses or wooden posts.
2) n. used figuratively for someone who has been connected with a company or organization from the beginning or for a very long time.
stonskotu n. cement block wall, rock wall.
stotu1 vt. stub (one’s finger or foot), knock one’s head against something. Mi stotu mi futu na a ston dape. I stubbed my toe (lit: foot) on the stone there.
stotu2 vi. end. A tori stotu te dya. The story ends here. ant: bigin. See: kba.
stowtu 1) v. said of children who whine, demand attention or who fuss and carry on in order to get what they want. A pikin e stowtu fu a preisani fu a trawan. The child is crying and carrying on in order to get the other one’s toy. Mi no lobi a boi disi. Na wan stowtu pikin. I don’t like this boy. He is a whiner. (or: He carries on to get his way.) Usage: It can also be used as a noun or an adjective. See: dwengi.
2) v. said of adults who cry, or of children who cry often and a lot. A no spotu stowtu a famiri stowtu di den poti a dedeskin ini a olo. The family cried their hearts out when they lowered the body into the grave. Mi no man nanga a stowtu san a pikin disi e stowtu te a e meki tifi. I can’t stand this child’s continual crying when it has a tooth coming in. (lit: I can’t stand the crying that this child is crying when...). Usage: It can also be used as a noun or an adjective.
straf'man n. convict, detainee, prisoner. Spelling variation: strafuman
straf'oso n. jail, prison. See: dungru-oso. Spelling variation: strafu-oso
strafu 1) n. punishment. Ala sma skreki di den yere a strafu di den leisi gi en. Everyone was shocked when they heard the punishment that was meted out to him.
de na strafu idiom. be in jail.
koti strafu v. be in jail, serve time in prison. A koti dri yari strafu. He was in jail for three years. syn: beni strafu.
leisi strafu v. judge, pronounce a sentence against someone condemned. A krutubakra wakti te leki ala sma kon tiri fosi a leisi strafu gi a fufuruman. The judge waited for everyone to be quiet before sentencing the thief.
nyan strafu v. undergo punishment.
2) v. punish. Gado o strafu den man dati. God will punish those men.
strafuman See main entry: straf'man. n. convict, detainee, prisoner.
strafu-oso See main entry: straf'oso. n. jail, prison.
strati n. street. From: NL. Etym: straat .
go na strati idiom. A: Pe yu m'ma de? B: Mi bribi a go na strati, yèrè. A: Where is your mother? B: I think she has gone out.
strei 1) vi. compete, struggle, fight. Transvaal nanga Robinhood e strei fu wini. Transvaal and Robinhood are competing to win. syn: feti.
2) n. struggle, game, fight, match, contest. Yu wini a strei. You won the game.
3) vi. to bet. Mi e strei anga yu taki Robinhood o wini. I’ll bet you that Robinhood wins.
4) n. bet. Robinhood wini, dus yu wini a strei. Robinhood won, so you win the bet.
streiboto n. boat race.
streilon n. race, contest. See: wega.
strepi 1) n. stripe, line. A hari wan strepi ini a santi. He drew a line in the sand. A fraga fu Sranan abi tu weti strepi. The Surinamese flag has two white stripes.
2) adj. striped. Tide Norbert weri wan moi strepi empi. Today Norbert wore a nice striped shirt. syn: strepistrepi.
3) v. strike through, cross out. Di mi si taki den strepi mi nen, mi ben sabi taki mi no bo kisi wan dyari. When I saw that my name was crossed out, I knew that I would not get a piece of land.
strepistrepi adj. striped.
stroistroi v. sprinkle; to sprinkle (used of dry material only). Di a puru a kuku ini a onfu, a stroistroi sukrumoisi na en tapu. After she took the cake out of the oven, she sprinkled small candies on it.
strun n. lemon. Citrus limon (Rutaceae). See: alanya; apresina; lemki; ponpon1.
strungrasi n. a kind of long grass that smells like lemon. Cymbopogon citratus (Gramineae). Usage: it is usually made into a tea as a cold remedy.
struntyi n. sty or stye (an inflamation of the eyelid). See: soro-ai.
stuka 1) v. study. A boi o go stuka na Bakrakondre. The boy is going to go study in the Netherlands. Nownowde den boi e stuka bun fosi fa den kan broko kon ini yu oso. These days the boys carefully study ahead of time how they can break into your house.
2) n. course of study. A stuka san mi e du no makriki. The course of study I am following is not easy.
stupu n. steps going up to the door of a house; raised walkway in front of a building. See: drompu.
sturu n. chair, seat. See: bangi1.
sukru 1) n. sugar.
2) ad. sweet. A te sukru tumsi. The tea is too sweet.
3) vt. sweeten. Sukru en pikinso moro. Put a little more sugar in it.
4) ad. sociable, fun. Mi lobi te Hendrik e kon bika a man dati sukru. I like it when Hendrik comes because he is sociable. syn: switi; tyari fatu.
5) n. diabetes. Te yu abi sukru, yu no mu nyan furu switisani. If you have diabetes, you shouldn’t eat a lot of sweets. Variant: sukrusiki.
sukrubakba n. a kind a banana with small sweet fruit. Musa soorten/species (Musaceae). Also known as pikinmisi-finga bakba.
sukrub'bu n. bubble that forms in the sand or mud after the rain.
sukru-erki n. confection made from coconut, peanuts and sugar (usually made for a dede-oso).
sukrukandra n. sugar cube, also a kind of candy.
sukrumira n. a kind of small ant. Monomorium pharaonis (Formicidae, O. Hymenoptera).
sukrumoisi n. small candies used to decorate cakes.
sukrupatu n. sugarbowl.
sukrusani n. candy. spec: kawston; kawlade; lek'tongo; kakaston; amalan; lonka; watrakan2; bigifutu2.
sukrusiki See main entry: sukru. n. diabetes.
sukruskrati n. chocolate. Usage: people now usually say syokola. See: skrati.
suku 1) v. seek, look for. Mi e suku mi moni. Mi no sabi pe mi poti en. I am looking for my money. I don’t know where I put it.
2) v. flirt with, chase after (someone of the opposite sex). Heri dei a boi e suku den pikin meid. All day long the boy chases after the girls (lit: seeks the girls).
diki suku v. investigate. No wan sma ben wani taki, ma skowtu diki suku te leki den feni suma kiri a frow. No one wanted to say anything, but the police kept investigating until they uncovered who had killed the woman. syn: ondrosuku.
suku ... mofo provoke someone to do or say something. See main entry: suku ... mofo.
suku mofo offensive, irritating, vexing. See main entry: suku mofo.
sula n. rapids, waterfall.
suma 1) interrog. who. Suma e kon dape de? Who is coming there?
2) rel. who. Skowtu no sabi suma du a sani. The police don’t know who did it.
3) pn. who, someone. Luku suma e kon! Look who is coming!
sungu 1) v. sink, flood. See: kanti.
2) vi. be flooded, be underwater. Di alen kon hebi, a heri prasi sungu. When it rained hard, the whole yard was flooded.
3) v. drown. Di a boto drai tapu, feifi sma sungu. When the boat capsized, five people drowned. syn: dede na watra.
sunsaka n. soursop, a large fruit with a rough green peel; the flesh is white and pulpy and full of shiny black seeds. Annona muricata (Annonaceae).
supu n. soup. See: brafu.
supuwiwiri n. a kind of celery with a thin stalk. Apium graveolens (Umbelliferae).
susu n. shoes. Usage: the word susu normally indicates a pair of shoes, but in a given context can refer to a single shoe. Spelling variation: ssu
wan futu susu n. a single shoe. A wan futu susu fu mi boro. One of my shoes has a hole in it.
sutu1 1) v. shoot. Tide mi omu sutu wan pingo. Today my uncle shot a pingo.
2) v. shoot off, fire (a firearm). Den sma lobi fu sutu finpeiri owruyari neti. People like to shoot off fireworks on New Year’s eve. Skowtu e ondrosuku ete sortu wan fu den man sutu a gon. The police are still investigating which one of the men fired the gun.
sutu2 v. explode. Di a oso e bron, wan gasbom di ben de na ini sutu. While the house was burning, a propane tank that was inside exploded. Wan fu den baka banti fu a wagi sutu. One of the rear tires of the car blew out.
sutu3 1) v. push or stick something into a closed area. Yu no abi noti fu suku dya. Sutu yu anu ini yu saka. There is nothing for you here. Stick your hands in your pockets. Fu di a susu ben bigi gi mi futu, mi sutu papira go ini a susu. Because the shoes were too big for my feet, I stuck paper in them. Yu kan sutu den ksabatiki go ini a gron. You can stick the cassave sticks in the ground.
2) v. bite, prick. Un sabi fa maskita kan sutu un, èn fa a kan bari na sma yesi. You know how mosquitos bite us and how they buzz in people’s ears. Te yu e piki rosu, yu mu luku bun taki den maka no sutu yu. When you pick roses, you need to be careful that the thorns don’t prick you. See: dyuku; beti.
sutu ... finga go na loktu raise one’s hand. See main entry: sutu ... finga go na loktu.
sutu faya gi incite, egg on, stir up (a crowd). See main entry: sutu faya gi.
swa 1) ad. sour.
2) v. make sour. No poti a lemki ini a ijskasi. A o swa a merki. Don’t put the lime in the refrigerator. It will sour the milk. A pom sukru tumsi. I mus swa en pikinso moro. The pom is too sweet. You need to make it a little more sour.
swa en fesi put on an angry or unfriendly face, scowl, glower. See main entry: swa en fesi.
swa-alanya n. a kind of sour citrus fruit, seville orange. Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae). Also known as korsow-alanya. See: alanya.
swagri n. brother-in-law. Usage: There is apparently no specific word in Sranan for sister-in-law. See table under: famiriman.
swaki 1) adj. weak. No sidon tapu a sturu. Den futu fu en swaki. Don’t sit in the chair. The legs are weak. ant: tranga.
2) n. weakness. A abi wan swaki gi sopi san e poti en ala yuru na problema. He has a weakness for liquor that gets him trouble all the time.
swakifasi n. weakness. Gado mu yepi wi nanga den swakifasi fu wi. God must help us with our weaknesses.
swakisei n. weak spot. A team no abi no wan swakisei. Ala man e prei bun. The team has no weak spots. Every man plays well.
swakiwan n. weak one. Unu di tranga mus abi pasensi nanga den swakiwan. You who are strong must be patient with the weak ones.
swampu n, ad. swamp, morass. See: kriki; liba; gotro; se.
swamputodo n. pipa toad. Pipa pipa (Pipadae). Also known as pipatodo or watratodo.
swarf'dosu See main entry: swarfudosu. n. matchbox.
swarf'tiki See main entry: swarfutiki. n. matchstick.
swarfu n. match. See: swarfutiki.
swarfudosu n. matchbox. Teki wan swarfudosu gi mi. Bring me a box of matches. Spelling variation: swarf'dosu
swarfutiki n. matchstick. Teki wan tiki swarfu nomo. Take just one match. Usage: The compounds swarfudosu and swarfutiki may be split with dosu or tiki coming first. See: swarfu. Spelling variation: swarf'tiki
swari v. swallow.
swasani n. fruits that are pickled in vinegar, such as birambi, cucumbers and green mangoes. Den froktu san wi poti tapu asin wi e kari swasani. The fruits that we pickle in vinegar we call swasani. spec: apra; oleif; manya; pomusteri; birambi; komkomro.
swen v. swim.
sweri1 1) v. swear an oath. A man sweri tak' a no en du en. The man swore that he did not do it.
2) n. oath. Den boi meki wan sweri tak' den no o taki suma kiri a man. The boys swore an oath that they would not tell who killed the man.
sweri2 1) v. swell, rise. A dyesi meki ala a blon sweri. The yeast made the dough rise
2) n. lump, swelling. A abi wan sweri tapu en anu pe a kawfrei beti en. He has a bump on his arm where the horsefly bit him.
3) adj. swollen. Mi no man poti a sweri futu ini a susu. I cannot get the swollen foot in the shoe.
sweti 1) n. sweat. A sweti bron mi ai. The sweat burned my eyes.
2) vi. to sweat. Fa mi wroko ini a son, mi sweti te mi heri empi kon nati. Because I worked out in the sun, I sweat until my whole shirt was wet.
3) vi. make an effort, exert oneself. Mi sweti fu kon na a wenkri disi. I really made an effort to build this business. See: feti.
swipi n. 1) parrotsnake. Leptophis ahaetulla (Colubridae).
2) a kind of snake. Liophis lineatus (Colubridae). Also known as krawatasneki.
3) a kind of snake. Thamnodynastes pallidus (Colubridae).
swit'bontyi n. the edible fruit of trees in the Inga family; they produce seed pods and the white flesh around the seeds is edible. Inga soorten/species (Mimosaceae).
switi 1) adj. delicious, tasty, pleasant. A nyanyan fu yu e smeri switi. Your food smells delicious.
2) adj. pleasant, nice. Un psa wan switi ten drape nanga mi frow famiri. We had a pleasant time there with my wife’s family.
3) n. delicious taste, deliciousness. Te a psa yu tongo, yu no e tesi a switi fu en moro. Once it passes your tongue, you don’t taste the delicious flavor anymore.
4) adv. fun, happy, easy, nice. A sori leki den ben e libi switi nanga makandra. It seemed that they lived happily together. A wagi fu yu e rei switi ete. Your car drives nicely still.
switismeri n. perfume, incense.
switismeri-oli n. any fragrant oil.
switisopi n. a sweetened alcoholic drink, liqueur.
swit'kasaba n. cassava that can be cooked without special preparation. Manihot esculenta (Euphorbiaceae). spec: botrokasaba; boyokasaba. See: bitakasaba.
swit'patata n. sweet potato. Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae).
swit'sani n. candy.
swit'sopo fragrant bath soap. See main entry: swit'sopo.
swit'watra n. ritual herbal bath.
syabi-syabi adj. shabby, slovenly (usually in connection with clothes). Morph: redup.
syant n. sergeant. See: ofisiri.
syatu adj. short. ant: langa1.
syatu pasi take a shortcut. See main entry: syatu pasi.
syen 1) n. shame, disgrace. A sani san a du meki tak' a heri famiri kisi bigi syen. The thing that he did brought great shame to the whole family.
kon na syen idiom. be brought to shame. Efu yu tan du so, yu o kon na syen. If you keep doing that, it will bring you shame.
2) adj. shameful, scandalous. Mi no man nanga den syen sani san den e du drape. I can’t stand the disgusting things they do there.
3) v. to feel ashamed or embarrassed. A e syen fu kon inisei. He is ashamed to come inside. syn: firi syen.
syensyen ad. shy, bashful. A e syensyen, dat' meki a no e kon pe furu sma de. She is shy, that is why she doesn’t go where there are lots of people. Morph: redup.
syinsyart n. slingshot, catapult. Variant: sinsyart. From: Eng. Etym: slingshot .
syobu v. shove, push, jab. Te yu de na ondro wowoyo, den sma e syobu yu fu ala sei. When you are at the market, people push you from all sides. Morph: redup. See: syobusyobu.
syobusyobu v. repeatedly push or shove. A meti no ben man go ini a saka, ma a syobusyobu en te leki a go. The meat did not fit in the bag, but he kept shoving it until it went in.
syoro n. shore of the ocean, bank of a river. Fu di a watra ben sekseki tumsi ini a liba, den boto tan na syoro. Because the river was too rough, the boats stayed on the bank. See: sekanti; libakanti; watrasei.
syow1 v. haul, carry. Yu kan syow a tas gi mi na oso? Can you carry the bag home for me? Usage: usually implies that that the item is heavy. See: tyari.
syow2 n. show. Gi suma yu e meki syow? For whom are you putting on a show?
syowman n. someone who will carry loads for hire, such as a bellboy, skycap, dockhand, etc.
syurkoro n. sauerkraut.
syuru adj. loose, easily pulled out or apart. Oma wiwiri syuru. A e fasi bos'bosu na a kankan. Grandma’s hair comes out easily. Clumps of it stick in the comb. A meti bori te a syuru. The meat cooked to a pulp.
syusyu 1) n. whisper, whispering. Ala dei te mi e kon na wroko mi e yere syusyu syusyu. Mi sabi taki den e taki sma sani. Every day when I come to work I hear whispering. I know that they are gossiping about people.
2) v. whisper.
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