Editing Suriname (section)

===Languages===
[[File:Butcher Paramaribo market.jpg|thumb|upright|Butcher in the [[Central Market (Paramaribo)|Central Market]] in Paramaribo with signs written in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]]]

Suriname has roughly 14 local languages, but [[Dutch language|Dutch]] (''Nederlands'') is the sole official language and is the language used in education, government, business, and the media.<ref name=cia/> Over 60% of the population are [[First language|native speakers]] of Dutch<ref name="taalgebied">{{cite web|url=http://taalunieversum.org/taalpeil/2005/het_nederlandse_taalgebied.html|title=Het Nederlandse taalgebied|access-date=4 November 2008|publisher=Nederlandse Taalunie|year=2005|language=nl}}</ref> and around 20%–30% speak it as a second language. In 2004, Suriname became an associate member of the [[Dutch Language Union]].<ref>{{in lang|nl}} [http://taalunieversum.org/en/about_us/ Nederlandse Taalunie]. taalunieversum.org</ref>

Suriname is one of three Dutch-speaking sovereign countries in the world (the others being the [[Netherlands]] and [[Belgium]]). It is also the only area in the Americas where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population (as territories in the [[Dutch Caribbean]] all have other majority languages). Finally, Suriname and English-speaking [[Guyana]] are the only countries in [[South America]] along with the English-speaking British dependent territory of the [[Falkland Islands]] where a [[Romance language]] does not predominate.
[[File:Joe abbie toe jessie ma joe ne yéré ne jéng woortoe toe lessie, Rotterdam-Centrum, Rotterdam (2021) 01.jpg|thumb|A [[Sranan Tongo]]-language poetry sign located in [[Rotterdam]], Netherlands]]
In Paramaribo, Dutch is the main home language in two-thirds of the households.<ref name=Census>{{cite web|title=Geselecteerde Census variabelen per district (Census-profiel)|access-date=24 July 2008|author=Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek|publisher=ABS|url=http://www.statistics-suriname.org/www/images/stories/pdf/2007/census%20profiel%20website%2016jan07.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910012719/http://www.statistics-suriname.org/www/images/stories/pdf/2007/census%20profiel%20website%2016jan07.pdf|archive-date=10 September 2008}}</ref> The recognition of ''"Surinaams-Nederlands"'' ("[[Surinamese Dutch]]") as a national dialect equal to ''"Nederlands-Nederlands"'' ("Dutch Dutch") and ''"Vlaams-Nederlands"'' ("Flemish Dutch") was expressed in 2009 by the publication of the ''Woordenboek Surinaams Nederlands'' (''Surinamese–Dutch Dictionary'').<ref>''Prisma Woordenboek Surinaams Nederlands'', edited by Renata de Bies, in cooperation with Willy Martin and Willy Smedts, {{ISBN|978-90-491-0054-4}}</ref> It is the most commonly spoken language in urban areas. The local languages are only more predominant than Dutch in the interior of Suriname (namely parts of [[Sipaliwini District|Sipaliwini]] and [[Brokopondo District|Brokopondo]]).

[[Sranan Tongo]], a local English-based [[creole language]], 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]]. Both are further influenced by other spoken languages which are spoken primarily within ethnic communities. Sranan Tongo is often used interchangeably with Dutch depending on the formality of the setting; Dutch is seen as a [[prestige dialect]] and Sranan Tongo the common [[vernacular]].<ref name=NYT2008>{{cite news|title=In Babel of Tongues, Suriname Seeks Itself|date=23 March 2008|first=Simon|last=Romero|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/world/americas/23suriname.html|author-link=Simon Romero}}</ref>

[[Sarnámi Hindustáni|Sarnami Hindustani]], an [[Indo-Aryan language|Indo-Aryan]] [[koiné language]] and the Surinamese [[Variety (linguistics)|variety]] of [[Caribbean Hindustani]], is the third-most used language. It is primarily spoken by the [[Indo-Caribbeans|descendants of Indian indentured labourers]] from the former [[British Raj]].

The six [[Maroon (people)|Maroon]] languages of Suriname are also considered English-based creole languages, and include [[Saramaccan language|Saramaccan]], [[Ndyuka (language)|Aukan]], [[Aluku]], [[Paramaccan people|Paramaccan]], [[Matawai language|Matawai]] and [[Kwinti language|Kwinti]]. Aluku, Paramaccan, and Kwinti are so mutually intelligible with Aukan that they can be considered dialects of the Aukan language. The same can be said about Matawai, which is mutually intelligible with Saramaccan.

[[Javanese language#Surinamese-Javanese|Surinamese-Javanese]] is used by the residents of Suriname who are descendants of the [[Javanese people|Javanese]] indentured laborers once sent from the [[Dutch East Indies]] (now [[Indonesia]]).

[[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Amerindian]] languages include [[Akurio language|Akurio]], [[Arawak language|Arawak-Lokono]], [[Carib language|Carib-Kari'nja]], [[Sikiana language|Sikiana-Kashuyana]], [[Tiriyó language|Tiro-Tiriyó]], [[Waiwai language|Waiwai]], [[Warao language|Warao]], and [[Wayana language|Wayana]].

[[Hakka language|Hakka]] is spoken by the descendants of the Chinese indentured labourers. Cantonese and [[Standard Mandarin|Mandarin]] are spoken by the recent wave of Chinese immigrants.

[[English language|English]], [[Guyanese Creole|Guyanese English Creole]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[French language|French]], and [[French Guianese Creole]] are spoken at areas near the country's borders where there are many migrants from neighboring countries speaking their respective languages.