A familect or marriage language is a set of invented words or phrases with meanings understood within members of a family or other small intimate group. [1] Among the pioneers of research on familects is Cynthia Gordon, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University, who discussed the concept in her 2009 book Making Meanings, Creating Family. [1] Familects fall within the intimate register of communication. [1] Familects often gain vocabulary through the words young children create as they learn to talk, when these words are adopted by the family. [1] Familects also gain vocabulary through slips of the tongue and word invention. [2]
A familect or marriage language is a set of invented words or phrases with meanings understood within members of a family or other small intimate group. [1] Among the pioneers of research on familects is Cynthia Gordon, professor of linguistics at Georgetown University, who discussed the concept in her 2009 book Making Meanings, Creating Family. [1] Familects fall within the intimate register of communication. [1] Familects often gain vocabulary through the words young children create as they learn to talk, when these words are adopted by the family. [1] Familects also gain vocabulary through slips of the tongue and word invention. [2]