- Idioglossia (play)
Idioglossia is a play by
Mark Handley about a girl who grows up without modern culture learning how to speak. It was first performed in 1992 at theGeorge Street Playhouse inNew Brunswick, New Jersey . [cite news | first = Alvin | last = Klein | url = http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&res=9E0CE4DB1730F93BA35752C1A964958260&oref=slogin | title = THEATER; A Search for Understanding and Love | publisher =New York Times | date =1992-11-08 | accessdate = 2007-12-03] The title comes from the medical termIdioglossia meaning an idiosyncratic language that few speak, and associated withCryptophasia .ummary
In the deep back country, a local boy discovers that a semi-paralyzed
hermit has died. Local police and a doctor are taken to her primitive cabin, and discover a seemingly half crazed woman who speaks what appears to be unintelligible babbling. At first, the woman is declared a wild child, and protective services needs to know if she is capable enough to live on her own. A linguist is called in to observe the woman to see if they can learn to speak her language. After intense interaction, the researchers learn that the woman's name is Nell, and that her distinctive speech is a combination of her mother's impairment -- she'd had a stroke which paralyzed one side on her face -- and atwin speech language she'd developed with her now dead sister.Film
In 1994 the play was later adapted into the film
Nell starringJodie Foster , andLiam Neeson .References
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