Kriol Language Kept Alive Through a Second Edition Dikshineri

Wen laas sohnbadi karek yu Kriol? How gud yu Kriol gud? Noh need fi fret, now- there’s now a revised Kriol-English dictionary right at your fingertips!

This morning, the National Kriol Council of Belize launched the second edition of the Kriol dictionary at the Leo Bradley Library in Belize City. The first edition was released in 2007, and this updated version features new words and revised spellings to more accurately reflect the dynamic culture of Belize. The council hopes that, with this resource, more people will recognise Belizean Kriol as a legitimate language.

Editor-in-Chief Silvaana Udz explained that the dictionary is a tool to encourage young people to stay connected to their roots. She spoke on the importance of making Kriol more accessible, particularly for the youth. She explained that over time, words can evolve and take on new meanings, so compiling all the ways a word is used across generations in one concise book is critical to keeping the language recognised and alive.

This new edition boasts “more than 560 new entries, and a new entry might be a new sense ah the word,” Udz said. “This particular edition has been in the works since 2018,” she added. While the Kriol-English Dictionary is available in print, it can also be accessed for free on the 501 Academy website and downloaded online.

At the launch today, the special price was $35, and physical copies will soon be available at Angelus Press in Belize City.

Udz shared that this is just the beginning, and the team is working on developing an app to make the dictionary even more accessible with just a click or quick search.

The online version will be updated annually, and the third edition of the printed version is already in the works.