Feature interview: Family language
Update: 2025-11-03
Description
Every family has its own way of talking. They share weird phrases, inside jokes, and made-up words that no one else would understand. Georgetown linguistics professor Cynthia Gordon has spent over 20 years studying how families actually talk to each other. She asked them to record ordinary moments, dinner conversations, car rides, chores and found something she calls "familylect": the secret language that makes a family feel like a family. Share your own familylect by texting 2101 or emailing us at afternoons@rnz.co.nz
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