Are there actually documented cases of twins creating a language? I seem to remember from psychology that the phenomenon of "twinspeak" is fairly overstated and virtually all cases are debunked. I'm remembering something like twins June and Jane ?? were thought to be a genuine case, but it was discovered they were actually speaking rapid-fire English with an unusual stress pattern.
Anyone know any more about this?
Well, twins run in my family and it seems that when they are younger they do share a language that no one else can comprehend. Although they have never been tested to see if it's actually English or something similar, I believe that it's twinspeak.
shareThat's cool. However, I think that eventually most kids want to talk to someone other than just one person, so they adopt the language of the society.
I have an easier time believing that Nell's language issues arise from hearing a single speaker of the language (who doesn't speak very well due to physical handicap). Had the other twin survived, I think she probably would have had the same difficulties.
I wouldn't call it exactly debunking, it's more like what one expects when one hears the word "language" is a completely separate language, and most idioglossias on record are more like patois or a creole (look it up).
There is an article on wikipedia about idioglossia which mentions both June and Jennifer Gibbons and the Kennedy twins, Grace and Genny ("Poto and Cabengo"). June and Jennifer spoke English, when they spoke at all. Grace and Genny spoke a combination of English, German, and their own invented words. Their father in an interview said he remembered them holding up objects and giving them specific names. The grammar was interesting, including a complex method of distinguishing singular from plural.
There are very few academic studies of idioglossias at all. Linguists don't usually get to study them. Those who speak them usually fall into the hands of educational psychologists, whose objective is to get the speakers to discard their own language in favor of English. I mean, obviously, but why discard? Why not both? From what I get from Marjorie Wallace's story of the Kennedys, reports on idioglossia she read seemed to view idioglossia-speakers as though they were miniature con artists attempting to put one over on the scientists.
Young siblings do it too, if their ages are close enough.
No one can speak for me better than I can
There was a set of twin girls in my stepfather's family. I'd babysit them pretty frequently. When we played together, they spoke Spanish, English, and twinspeak. It was fascinating. They difference between Nell and my twins was that they comprehended that only they understood their language. Nell, on the other hand, attempts to speak it to people other than her twin.
"Sacred cows make the best hamburger."
i have seen simmlar.
folks, please keep Natasha Richardson in your prayers, she was in a bad skining accident. A great actress, and a great person.