About Kuchriments
The name of this business is one of Andrea’s favorite Kriol words. This word comes from the word “accoutrement” and means personal accessories, odds and ends. You will be sure to find a bit of everything here as Kuchriments continues to grow.
Kuchriments is more than just a business idea but one that will provide the space that celebrates the Kriol culture and language, while making a tangible difference in the local communities. The goal is to provide opportunities and support for women in the rural communities to generate an income and grow their own micro-business as we intend to source products from within the Belize River Valley and other communities, communities which have been long underserved and neglected over the years, therefore leading to a high poverty rate.
Wat da Bileez Kriol?
Bileez Kriol is a language that is widely spoken in Belize and among Belizeans around the world, it’s the heart language of many.
Kriol is the spelling of “Creole” in the Belize Creole language.
We can learn about a lot person’s culture, beliefs, and history from the language they speak. The creole culture and language is rich and expressive and one that I believe should be fully embraced.
Sir Colville Young, former Governer General of Belize, wrote this in the foreword of the very first Bileez Kriol dikshineri: ” A language, like a people, can be marginalized – by which I mean, it can be treated as insignificant or even unworthy of being called a language, or of scholarly interest. The creole and pidgin languages of the world have especially suffered in this regard. As the noted creolist Dell Haynes put it in 1971, “The languages called pidgins and creoles have long been a stepchild, so far as serious attention, either public or scientific, is concerned.” He added, significantly, “The stepchild may prove to be a Cinderella.”
The writing system for Bileez Kriol is based on sound, not rules. Each sound is represented by only one symbol. Once the symbols for each sound are learned, it will become easier to read and write in Bileez Kriol.
The borrowing of words from other languages is also evident in Belize Kriol,as with other languages, although it is a difficult task to try and establish the origins of all the words. There are words that may have come from French, many words that have been borrowed from Spanish, and a number of food names that come from Garifuna, possibly originating from African languages.
The Song of Kriol also states that “Another major source for common nouns, especially for plant and animal names, is the Miskito language of Nicaragua and Honduras.”
I have chosen to use the standardized Bileez Kriol writing system for Kuchriments. I believe that it is helpful for all of us who want to learn how to read and write Kriol. I am thankful to the National Kriol Council for all their hard work in advocating and preserving the Kriol culture and language.
You can find out more about the National Kriol Council in Belize here.
Weh Pipl Di Seh
I have met some pretty awesome people since Kuchriments started and it’s my pleasure to share a bit of what they had to say about their experience or what they love about Kuchriments.
