Bagansiyapiyapi

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Possibly from Malay Bagansiapiapi, which was an important fishing port of the then-Dutch East Indies in the 1920s and 1930s; reminiscent of bagasi (“luggage; stuff”) and yapiyapi (“monkey”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /baˈɡans(i)jap(i)japi/, [ba̠ˈɡã̠ns(i)ja̠p(i)ja̠pi], [bɑ̟ˈɡɑ̟̃ns(i)jɑ̟p(i)jɑ̟pi]

Proper noun

Bagansiyapiyapi

(figuratively) Timbuktu, Outer Mongolia, Faroffistan (any proverbially distant or remote place)

References

J.C.M. Blanker, J. Dubbeldam (2010) [2005] Prisma woordenboek Sranantongo. Prisma wortubuku fu Sranantongo (overall work in Dutch and Sranan Tongo), Houten: Unieboek, →ISBN, page 39