This book explores a relatively little investigated area of creole languages word-formation.
It provides the most comprehensive account so far of the word-formation patterns of an
English-based creole language Sranan as found in its earliest sources and compares them with
the patterns attested in the input languages. One of the few studies of creole morphology based
on historical data the book discusses the theoretical problems arising with the historical
analysis of creole word-formation and provides an analysis along the lines of Booij's (2005
2007) Construction Morphology in which the assumed boundaries between affixation compounding
and syntactic constructions play a very minor role. It shows that Early Sranan word-formation
is characterised by the absence of superstrate derivational affixes the use of free morphemes
as derivational markers and of compounding as the major word-formation strategy. The emergence
of Early Sranan word-formation involved multiple sources (the input languages universals
language-internal development) and different mechanisms (reanalysis of free morphemes as
derivational markers adaptation of superstrate complex words transfer from the substrates and
the creation of innovations). The findings render untenable theoretical accounts of creole
genesis based on one explanatory factor such as superstrate or substrate influence.
