Mennonites in Belize | Languages
This is the updated version of an article first published in 2017. The original article has been removed.
The language of the Mennonites in Belize is a curious mixture of Plautdietsch, English, Spanish and Creole. For some, a combination of all these is their only known language. Among the ethnic or "Russian" Mennonites, Plautdietsch (a dialect of German), is the traditional language.
Old ColonyThe Plautdietsch spoken in northern Belize by the traditional Old Colony Mennonites is still largely untainted by Spanish or English words. Interestingly, for many of them especially the men, Spanish is their second language. Plautdietsch and High German are the only two languages used in their schools and churches; when it comes to curriculum, the Bible and memorization are the only options, hence fluent English is rarely heard in this group; usually they revert to a sort of pidgin dialect when dealing with English-speaking non-Mennonites.
There is an extremely conservative division of Old Colony Mennonites in central and south Belize who resemble the Old Order Amish but are not related. They speak Plautdietsch and quite proper English even though they are more isolated than most other Mennonites.
EMMC (a liberal Mennonite church) offers classes to adults who have left their traditional church and wish to improve their English grammar.
Kleine Gemeinde
Kleine Gemeinde (Spanish Lookout in the west and Blue Creek in the north) of today speak a more watered-down Plautdietsch, with English words used increasingly. In fact some of their young ones no longer know how to name some items in their traditional dialect but must switch over to English. The older generation still speak the original Plautdietsch, usually those over 50 years, while those younger than that have had their Plautdietsch modified and speak proper English, with a slight local accent. This is due to their rapid modernization and English textbooks used in their schools. High German used to be an obligatory subject in schools.
Hoover (Old Order) Mennonites
These conservative Mennonites who live in central Belize have forefathers of mixed Amish and "Swiss" Mennonite lineage due to their migration from Ohio, US. However, their Pennsylvania German which is very close to Plautdietsch, has been colored by the dialect used among the "Russian" Mennonites in Belize. A few still speak the Pennsylvania German such as the one found in Beverly Lewis's Amish fictions but the majority now use Plautdietsch. English is their second language and is spoken fluently by both young and old since they have a more open-minded view of education. Of all the traditional and conservative groups in Belize, this is the only one whose lifestyle remains unchanged in spite of allowing the English language to enter their schools. Some of the younger ones speak English as if they had lived all their lives in Canada or the US, without a trace of accent which is typically found in other Mennonite groups. Spanish and Creole are picked up from the cultures around them.
Beachy Amish, Conservative and Holdemans
These three different groups, who are of "Swiss" Mennonite origin, do not have a standard language since they are not preoccupied with isolating themselves from the modern world. Focusing on gospel missions instead of oral traditions liberates them to embrace, accept and intermarry people of different colors and backgrounds. English of course is mandatory for schools, besides that they speak the language of whichever culture is around them. Hence Sunday morning you can listen to a Kekchi (Maya dialect) service in the south, an English service in the central west or a Spanish one in the north. All three of these conservative groups have members that speak Low German.
Kleine Gemeinde
Kleine Gemeinde (Spanish Lookout in the west and Blue Creek in the north) of today speak a more watered-down Plautdietsch, with English words used increasingly. In fact some of their young ones no longer know how to name some items in their traditional dialect but must switch over to English. The older generation still speak the original Plautdietsch, usually those over 50 years, while those younger than that have had their Plautdietsch modified and speak proper English, with a slight local accent. This is due to their rapid modernization and English textbooks used in their schools. High German used to be an obligatory subject in schools.
Hoover (Old Order) Mennonites
These conservative Mennonites who live in central Belize have forefathers of mixed Amish and "Swiss" Mennonite lineage due to their migration from Ohio, US. However, their Pennsylvania German which is very close to Plautdietsch, has been colored by the dialect used among the "Russian" Mennonites in Belize. A few still speak the Pennsylvania German such as the one found in Beverly Lewis's Amish fictions but the majority now use Plautdietsch. English is their second language and is spoken fluently by both young and old since they have a more open-minded view of education. Of all the traditional and conservative groups in Belize, this is the only one whose lifestyle remains unchanged in spite of allowing the English language to enter their schools. Some of the younger ones speak English as if they had lived all their lives in Canada or the US, without a trace of accent which is typically found in other Mennonite groups. Spanish and Creole are picked up from the cultures around them.
Beachy Amish, Conservative and Holdemans
These three different groups, who are of "Swiss" Mennonite origin, do not have a standard language since they are not preoccupied with isolating themselves from the modern world. Focusing on gospel missions instead of oral traditions liberates them to embrace, accept and intermarry people of different colors and backgrounds. English of course is mandatory for schools, besides that they speak the language of whichever culture is around them. Hence Sunday morning you can listen to a Kekchi (Maya dialect) service in the south, an English service in the central west or a Spanish one in the north. All three of these conservative groups have members that speak Low German.
EMMC and other modern churches
Those Plautdietsch Mennonites who have broken away from the traditional churches and modernized have (almost) left their German dialect for good, preferring to use English at home and at work. Actually there are those young ones who even though they understand Plautdietsch, would much rather speak English. Hollywood, social media and non-Mennonite school teachers have tremendously impacted them.
You will not be surprised that many Mennonites in Belize are bilingual. But you will certainly be when you realize how many are trilingual. In fact, there are some among the elderly who are actually quadrilingual. They speak Plautdietsch, High German, English, and Spanish.
A. Mendoza
