Sunday, January 14, 2007

Twin language...?

Okay, so my kids aren't actually twins, but they're very close in age, and really they spend more time talking to each other than either one spends talking to anyone else. So they appear to have invented some of their own words:

bramporte: A two-wheeled vehicle such as a bicycle or motorcycle.

cracre-de-paix (or perhaps cracre d'épée?): A heavy construction vehicle.

I can't tell if these are based on real words or wholly invented, but they seem to be pronouncing them as French words, which is why I've spelled them as French words.

You can guess what types of subjects they like to discuss... ;-)


Here I am hindering them from watching the movie "Cars"

12 comments:

Genilimaa said...

Nice! My Young Ones have the exact same facial expressions when they watch movies.
And the talks between them, well, we get mostly dinosaurs. Real species and the made up.

C. L. Hanson said...

Hey Genilimaa!!!

Interestingly my kids haven't taken up an interest in dinosaurs yet. They're really into sea mammals though. They can give you a whole elaborate discourse on whales, dolphins, orcas, etc.

Sister Mary Lisa said...

Nice! I like the photo, and the closeness they share. That's fortunate. The alternative must be torture for parents to witness (that is, siblings who hate each other).

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks SML!!!

Yeah, we're lucky -- the two of them get along great and share all sorts of imaginative games!!! :D

Freckle Face Girl said...

It is great that they have each other.

Bryan Hudson D., PHD said...

Hi! Sweet picture.
I am a very passionate cyclist, so please say thanks to your kids, now I have a new word for my adorable bicycles: Bramportes, YAY!

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Freckle Face Girl!!!

Thanks HomoCyclist!!!

I'll pass along your thanks to my kids!!! :D

Aerin said...

They are too cute!!

AnnM said...

How curious! Have you figured out the origin of the words? Are they combining English and French? The first makes me think "brings with arm" (bra-emporte) but I think they probably enunciate better than that. The second sounds like "breaks the peace" (crack-de-paix). It reminds me of my son's franglaise, although his were pretty easy to figure out, like asking why I was arrosing the bushes.

C. L. Hanson said...

Thanks Aerin!!!

Hey Sam-I-Am!!!

I'm not sure, but I think cracre-de-paix is a variant of "tractor". Maybe a mispronounciation of tracteur de blé ? They've seen some agricultural vehicles...

I have no idea where they got bramporte from, but the way they pronounce it, it doesn't really sound like bra-emporte. That one is a real mystery....

Anonymous said...

Chanson, my kids are 12 (boy) and 8 (girl) and sometimes I find them talking their own language, words that have no meaning in any language, just stuff they make up!!! I used to think it was kind of weird, but then I again, I think that's their quirky way of bonding!

C. L. Hanson said...

Hey MikeP!!!

I think you're exactly right!!!

Sharing a specialized (even private) vocabulary is a common way for people to bond.