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Glite Dictionary
British Honduras

British Honduras

6.7
The old name for Belize before independence in 1981
  • proper noun
translation icon : Honduras Británica
  • He was born in British Honduras before it became known as Belize.

Examples

  • Many archival documents from the colonial period refer to the territory as British Honduras.

  • I visited British Honduras before it became Belize.

  • During the 1960s, British Honduras experienced significant political changes.

  • When was British Honduras officially renamed?

  • He was born in British Honduras before it became known as Belize.

  • During the 1960s, British Honduras experienced significant political changes.

  • Many archival documents from the colonial period refer to the territory as British Honduras.

Synonyms

Belize
vsBritish Honduras
31 2.4

A country in Central America that borders the Caribbean Sea

is the former name used while the territory was under colonial rule until 1981

Surface Forms

British Honduras main

Morphology

British + Honduras

The compound 'British Honduras' transparently signals a place called 'Honduras' under British control — an English speaker who knows 'British' and the country name 'Honduras' can infer it refers to a British territory in the Honduras region. However, knowing it specifically names the former colony that is now Belize requires historical/world knowledge and is not directly derivable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially predictable.

Etymology

British Honduras comes from a simple picture: Spanish sailors called the coast Honduras because the sea there was very deep ('deep water'), and when Britain ruled the area they added British to show it was their colony. That's why British Honduras was the 'former name' of the country now called Belize until 1981.