Belize English Creole

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A language of Belize

ISO 639-3

bzj

Alternate Names

Belize Kriol English, Miskito Coast English Creole, Western Caribbean Creole

Autonym

Kriol

User Population

130,000 in Belize (2014 UNSD). Total users in all countries: 170,000.

Location

Widespread, including communities on Ambergris and Caulker cayes.

Language Maps

Belize

Language Status

3 (Wider communication). Brought to Belize by shipwrecked British seamen (baymen) in 1638. Lingua franca of Belize. L1 of some Garifunas, Mestizos, Maya and other ethnic groups.

Classification

Creole, English based, Atlantic, Western

Dialects

None known. Reportedly similar to Nicaragua English Creole [bzk] and Islander (San Andrés) [icr] creoles. Historically an extension of Nicaragua English Creole. There is a spectrum of varieties from standard American English usage to creole.

Language Use

Creoles, people of East Indian descent. Most domains. Positive attitudes. Used as L2 by Garifuna [cab], Plautdietsch [pdt].

Language Development

Newspapers. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 2012.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Belize English Creole

Writing

Latin script [Latn].