Every family, no matter what language or languages they speak at home, also has its own mode of communication. In linguistic terms, this is known as a ‘familect.’ It refers to variations of pronunciation and grammar, and even unique words, which are only used, and sometimes only understood, within the family in question.
So how do familects evolve? One major source are a child’s mispronunciations or made-up words that were cute, and that everyone else in the family adopted too, for use at home. Here at 101translations, one of our families has a storage space that’s been known as ‘the nusing cupboard’ since a super-cute little boy started calling it that because ‘it’s where we keep the things we nuse.’ That was nearly twenty years ago, and while the little boy has changed a lot, the name of the cupboard has stayed the same.
While familects often start to fade as children grow up, leave home, and start families of their own, sometimes words, phrases, and idiosyncratic grammar get passed down through the generations, and even spread from one nuclear family unit to a slightly broader community, perhaps including close relatives and/or friends.
Similar things can happen with language in other environments in which people spend a lot of time together, such as close friendship groups in adolescence and early adulthood, and even offices.
Using a shared ‘special’ variant of the local language is not just a way of communicating, it’s also a deeply bonding experience that makes family members feel closer.
Can you think of any special familectal terms that only you and your loved ones use?
We’d love to hear about them!
Photo Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/family-eating-at-the-table-BQPi8F_UON0
