This book presents a comprehensive account of the word-formation patterns of an Englishbased creole language, Sranan, as found in the earliest sources of this language, and compares them systematically with the patterns attested in the input languages. The findings are discussed in the light of recent creolisation theories and a number of important conclusions are drawn about the nature of creole word-formation, as well as about the role of second language acquisition, universals, substrates and superstrates in the emergence of the creole lexicon and creole languages in general.