Creole is an effective solution to a unique and complex problem.
We speak 4 languages in Belize; English, Spanish, Maya and Garifuna.
We could be very much like the Biblical story of Babel if it where not for the Creole dialect evolving from the need to have one common spoken understanding.
There are more opinions on Creole being a dialect or a language than options on a Swiss Army Knife.
I have a dictionary that says Creole is a language that has evolved from the mixture of two or more languages and has become the first language of a group.
Right or wrong Creole has been a reason for success in a working nation of mixed backgrounds.
Another Creole has recently evolved in the exchange of text messages, written as Creole to be able to communicate to a lot of very different people.
Brief text message exchange has given birth to symbols and terms that are global text Creole. : )
A language that everyone can understand.

You left out a few. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=BZ

&nbsp Hi,
from what I've heard, "creole" is french-based. In Belize, the dialect is kriol, which is based on english. Other influences to kriol are spanish, western african languages and miskito. An interesting parallel is the "pijin", spoken in the Solomons.

&nbsp &nbsp Dan

When I first came to Belize, I thought that the kriol was similar to the Jamaican patois I was familiar with. It does have some similarities, but I am still on the newbie end of understanding Kriol. Jersey, in the Channel Islands, also has a local patois, but that has a French origin. Regions of France also have patois of their own. I'm sure regional dialects are common all over the world.

Creole or kriol, 1/2 dozen or 6, same things. It was never intended to be a written language. Frech Creole in Louisana and Haiti, English Creole in Belize and other parts of the English Caribbean. It is also a ethnic label as well, we even have "Royal Creole" in Belize, the original creole families who know run most of Belize.

SIN

Belizean kriol will never be a "language that everyone can understand". BECAUSE it is not a language - it's a dialect. What Dan said is a good description.

Oh, and Louisiana "creole" is nowhere near Haitian Creole (while both are formal-French based).

/sak pa seh?
/weh deh gwaan?
/how YOU doin'?

Never thought i would agree with Sin, 'Not meant to be written,I agree.
Not a Language ,I agree but National Geographic seems to include it as one of the five spoken in Belize....?

You got that right......I'm originally from Louisiana and knew some of that "creole". Thought I'd be hot sh__ when I went to Belize. Not a chance..........say what?

Loansum, I too hail from Louisiana.. sha I tell ya wut!!

Oh dawlin' ya make sick fa da home!!

me sha, I done miss dat place and dey crawfish wit dey beer busts! Geaux Tigers!!!!!!!! WHOOOHOOOOO!!!
Mamou...da best little bar to listen to dey fiddle Jolie Blone

Oh me, soun like ya be don der a lon whil

Sha, dun be born and raised but dey feet don get to touch dat gumbo mud as often as dis her lass like....

I love it! Got to close down.....leaving tomorrow AM for a 7 week stay on AC. Hasta la vista dawlin!

WWWWWHOOOOOOOOOHHHHHOOO!!! Maybe I don run upon ya at BC's or Crazy Canucks... I be der Nov. 10th thru 14th.....

We should be around.....we love our ice cold Belikin in a frozen mug for breakfast at the Island Perk.....like 11:00 AM

Cool I know where to find ya then!

My understanding from old timers in Belize is that Kriol originally came out of a variety of cultures attempting to understand and speak the English they heard.

Different cultures and people from different countries who were brought to Belize has no common method of communicating with each other except obviously via sign language. There were so many different tribal African and Indian languages being used that a simple language evolved which had a common understanding.

In times past when travel was very limited often different languages evolved within different villages within close proximity to each other.

Kriol simply was the only solution. It is clipped and very non descriptive. The mind fills in the gaps.

I understand it well. SIN speaks it fluently. Perhaps he has another comment to add.

I hate that this is true but here it is anyway,
The Name Belize is a mispronunciation of the word 'Wallace'!
Thats almost embarrassing.