The Expanse is not only a scientifically accurate sci-fi show, but it also uses real-life as inspiration for its societies and cultures, including the Belters. For Belters to sound and feel real, the creators of the show had to look for real-world examples that would fit with their history and culture, while making their language sound natural and rich when spoken by the show’s cast. And so, when adapting the books into a TV show, linguist Nick Farmer and accent-coach Eric Armstrong worked together to develop the Belter language based on existing cultures.
The world of The Expanse is divided into three main factions: Earth, Mars, and the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance). Those born in the outer belts, not only have never seen the horizon but have lived their entire lives in a low gravity environment. They work and mine in horrible conditions to bring goods to Earth and Mars. Due to a lack of military power and representation, Belters are constantly oppressed by the planets. These were people from different nations and places who ventured into outer space in hopes of a better future but found only gruesome life conditions. Essentially, Belters are an oppressed working class that developed an entirely separate culture and language from Mars and Earth.
Because Belters have roots in different nations, their language needed to reflect their multiculturalism. In an interview with Wired, Farmer explained he looked for real-life creole languages as inspiration, especially Haitian Creole. Haiti was a French colony, but the contact between French settlers and African slaves created a mixture between French, West African languages, and even Spanish and Portuguese. Since people from all over came to the island to work, the interchange between these different cultures merged languages into a new one. Like the slaves in Haiti, who learned and transformed the French of their colonizers, Belters mixed the English of Earthers with their native tongues.
Thus, the Belter language uses words from English, Chinese, Japanese, Slavic, Germanic, and romance languages, which Framer believed would remain Earth’s most common tongues in the future. Each term from a different language represents a culture that was assimilated into Belter society. If there’s a Japanese word being used, it means there have been Japanese Belters at some point, and thus, Japanese culture influenced the Belt. Another layer of depth added to the Belter language is their use of gestures. Because they go on spacewalks as part of their work, Belters developed specific gestures to communicate quickly in space, and these gestures eventually were absorbed into everyday conversations.
By taking inspiration from Haiti and other Earth colonies, The Expanse managed to create a society that feels real and developed, making it easier for audiences to connect with the Belters and understand their history and motivations. How a culture communicates, what words are used, what expressions are popular, all of these details are essential to world-building.