Bileez Kriol
Belize Kriol
English-based creole (Atlantic, Western Caribbean)
Belize Kriol is the English-based creole of Belize, the national lingua franca of a country whose population includes Mestizos, Creoles, Mayans, and Garifuna. Distinct from Jamaican Patois though sharing a common Atlantic English-based-creole ancestor, Belize Kriol developed during the British logwood/mahogany trade era through interaction of African enslaved populations (primarily Akan-speaking) with English logging crews. The 1995 establishment of the National Kriol Council and the 2002 phonemic orthography mark increasing institutional recognition; Belize Kriol now appears in churches, popular music (especially the punta and brukdown genres), and the Bible (full New Testament 2002, complete Bible 2012).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Belize Kriol
Water
waata
/wɑːtɑ/
Fire
faiya
/fajə/
Sun
son
/sɔn/
Moon
moon
/muːn/
Mother
mada
/mɑdə/
Father
faada
/faːdə/
Eat
nyam
/ɲam/
Drink
jrink
/dʒɾɪŋk/
Love
lov
/lɔv/
Heart
haat
/aːt/
Tree
chree
/tʃɹiː/
House
hous
/aʊs/
Dog
daag
/daːɡ/
Cat
kyat
/kʲat/
Hand
han
/an/
Eye
ai
/aj/
Hello
heloh
/hɛlo/
Thank you
tanks
/taŋks/
One
wan
/wan/
Good
gud
/ɡʊd/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole (Atlantic, Western Caribbean) languages
| Meaning | Belize Kriol | Jamaican Patois | Bahamian Creole | Hawaiian Creole | English (Singapore) | English (Irish) | English (Yorkshire) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | waata /wɑːtɑ/ | wata /wɑːtə/ | watah /wɑːtə/ | wata /wɑtə/ | water /wɔːtə/ | water /wɑːtəɹ/ | water /wɔːtə/ |
| Fire | faiya /fajə/ | faya /faja/ | fyah /fajə/ | faia /fɑɪə/ | fire /fajə/ | fire /fɑɪəɹ/ | fire /faɪə/ |
| Sun | son /sɔn/ | son /sɔn/ | son /sɔn/ | san /sɑn/ | sun /san/ | sun /sʊn/ | sun /sʊn/ |
| Moon | moon /muːn/ | muun /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | mun /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Mother | mada /mɑdə/ | mada /mɑdə/ | mama /mama/ | madda /mɑdə/ | mother /madə/ | mother /mʊðəɹ/ | mother /mʊðə/ |
| Father | faada /faːdə/ | fada /fɑdə/ | daddy /dadi/ | fadda /fɑdə/ | father /fadə/ | father /fɑːðəɹ/ | father /fɑːðə/ |
| Eat | nyam /ɲam/ | nyam /ɲam/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | jrink /dʒɾɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| Love | lov /lɔv/ | lov /lɔv/ | love /lɔv/ | love /lʌv/ | love /laf/ | love /lʊv/ | love /lʊv/ |
| Heart | haat /aːt/ | aat /aːt/ | hart /hɑːt/ | haht /hɑːt/ | heart /hat/ | heart /hɑːɹt/ | heart /hɑːt/ |
| Tree | chree /tʃɹiː/ | chrii /tʃɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| House | hous /aʊs/ | ous /ɔus/ | house /haus/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /haʊs/ | house /aʊs/ |
| Dog | daag /daːɡ/ | daag /daːɡ/ | dawg /dɔɡ/ | dawg /dɔːɡ/ | dog /dɔk/ | dog /dɒɡ/ | dog /dɒɡ/ |
| Cat | kyat /kʲat/ | puss /pʊs/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kæt/ | cat /kɛt/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ |
| Hand | han /an/ | an /an/ | han /han/ | hand /hænd/ | hand /hɛn/ | hand /hand/ | hand /and/ |
| Eye | ai /aj/ | yai /jaɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ | eye /ɑɪ/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Hello | heloh /hɛlo/ | wah gwaan /wɑ ɡwɑːn/ | wuhz hapnin /wʊz hapnɪn/ | howzit /haʊzɪt/ | hello lah /hɛlo lɑː/ | hello /hɛloː/ | ey up /eɪ ʊp/ |
| Thank you | tanks /taŋks/ | tanks /taŋks/ | tank ya /taŋk jə/ | tanks /tæŋks/ | thanks /tɛŋks/ | thanks /taŋks/ | ta /tɑː/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | one /wan/ | wan /wɑn/ | one /wan/ | one /wʊn/ | one /wɒn/ |
| Good | gud /ɡʊd/ | gud /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊt/ | good /ɡʊd/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
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