Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbakɾa/, [ˈba̠kɾa̠], [ˈbɑ̟kɾɑ̟]
Noun
bakra
- white person
1757, Margot C. van den Berg, quoting Avontuur, Mi no sal tron tongo. Early Sranan in court records 1667-1767 (MA thesis; in English), Nijmegen, published 2000, page 51:evie mi massra ben sendie mi go na Tampatie dan mie sa ben Soria dem Backara- [Efi mi masra ben seni mi go na Tempati, dan mi sa ben sori den bakra.]
- If my master had sent me to go to Tempati, then I would have shown the whites.
1783-1785, Hendrik Schouten, “Een huishoudelyke twist [A domestic row]”, in Jan Voorhoeve, Ursy M. Lichtveld, editors, Suriname: Spiegel der vaderlandse kooplieden, Den Haag: Martinus Nijhoff, published 1980, →ISBN, page 194:Kaka vo soo wan Bakkera!- [Kaka fu sowan bakra!]
- Shit for such a white man!
1833, Marten Douwes Teenstra, quoting Present, Bijzonderheden betrekkelijk den brand te Paramaribo, in den nacht van den 3den op den 4den september 1832 [Particulars regarding the Paramaribo fire, in the night of the 3rd to the 4th of September 1832], page 51:o! alla bakkra moesoe dédé toe- [O, ala bakra musu dede tu.]
- Oh, all whites have to die [sometime], too.
1858 May 16, W.E.H. Winkels, “Humoristische Snippertjes. (Uit de Portefeuille van den ouden Heer Furet.) XXXVI. DE WAARHEID op reis binnen de Kolonie Suriname. DE BLANKOFFICIER. [Humorous Snippets. (From the portfolio of the old Mr. Furet.) XXXVI. THE TRUTH travelling within the Colony of Surinam. THE PLANTATION OVERSEER]”, in Surinaamsch weekblad, Paramaribo: A.L.G. de Randamie, page 3:Poti! fa mi habi sari na ini mi hatti, foe so wan moi pikien bakra.!- [Poti! Fa mi abi sari na ini mi ati, fu sowan moi pikin bakra!]
- Oh! How I have pity in my heart for such a handsome young white man!
c. 1885, Johannes King, “Skrekiboekoe [Book of horrors]”, in Jan Voorhoeve, Ursy M. Lichtveld, editors, Suriname: Spiegel der vaderlandse kooplieden, Den Haag: Martinus Nijhoff, published 1980, →ISBN, pages 108, 110:En ala dem ouloetem gran avoo vo wi ben de Afrikan ningre na ningre kondre. Na janda dem ouroetem bakra go bai dem avoo vo wi potti na ini sipi tjari koti habra da bigi soutoe watra, en dem tjari dem kom doro dia na foto Paramaribo.- [Èn ala den owruten granawo fu wi ben de Afrikan nengre na nengrekondre. Na yanda den owruten bakra go bai den awo fu wi poti na ini sipi tyari koti abra a bigi sowtuwatra èn den tyari den kon doro dya na foto Paramaribo.]
- And all our forefathers of the olden days were African Negroes from Negroland. It was over there that the whites of old went and bought our forefathers and put them in ships to take them across the big salt water, and brought them here to the city of Paramaribo.
1884 October 26, Algemeen Handelsblad (advertisement), Amsterdam, page 4:Nanga da njoen smokoscipi voe bakrakondre mie de senie jou foe dem pikien bakra na Sint Nikolaas verjari die seksie Hondro nestie baskuto voe potie switie sanie na inie hesie mie sa senie moro.- [Nanga a nyun smokosipi fu Bakrakondre mi e seni yu fu den pikin bakra na Sint Nikolaas friyari di siksihondro nesi baskita fu poti switisani na ini. Esi mi sa seni moro.]
- With the new steamship to the Netherlands I'm sending you for the white children, on Saint Nicholas's birthday, six hundred nests of baskets for putting sweets into[.] I'll send more soon.
1975, Mighty Botai (lyrics and music), “Sranang Kong Fri”, in Onafhankelijkheid (Srefidensi) Suriname:Atleba ten no sa de moro ini Sranan / Den bakra, den ben hori wi na baka / Den de bow den kondre kon na fesi / Meki wi e pina- The period of toiling will be no more in Suriname / The whites, they held us back / They built up their country successfully / Made us suffer
- high-ranking official or civil servant
Adjective
bakra
- relating to a white person
1840 July 17, Algemeen Handelsblad (classified advertisement), Amsterdam, page 3:Massera Ningre! condere draay, poespoessie jan sra, bakra oeman aksie man.- [Masra Nengre! Kondre drai, puspusi nyan sra, bakra-uma aksi man.]
- Black gentlemen! The country changed, a cat eats lettuce, a white woman requests a man. (The grammatical number of the nouns is ambiguous)
- Alternative letter-case form of Bakra (“Dutch”)
Descendants
- Aukan: bakaa
- Saramaccan: bakáa
- → Caribbean Hindustani: bakrá
- → Caribbean Javanese: bakrah
References
Norval Smith (2015) “Ingredient X: The shared African lexical element in the English-lexifier Atlantic Creoles, and the theory of rapid creolization”, in P. Muysken, N. Smith, editors, Surviving the Middle Passage: The West Africa-Surinam Sprachbund, Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, →ISBN, page 70