Wednesday 7 January 2015

What's in a Name?

A lot, particularly when your parents come from two completely different cultures and backgrounds.

We are expecting our fourth child February time. Yep, we look forward to being blessed with a fourth BabelKid in a month or so.

What we don't enjoy is the search for a name. Our quest is complicated further by an indecisive mother and a name-giving-phobic father. BabelDad had so much trouble naming his cat that the latter was forever known as Kater!

So, instead of leaving it to BabelDad, and ending up with Baby, Junge or Mädchen as a name for our child, I am perusing various websites and books. looking for a more socially acceptable alternative.

Many parents agree that naming a boy is somewhat more challenging than deciding on a name for a girl. So imagine how hard it must be for us, having already exhausted our girls' list three times already!

I trust we will find a name, hopefully in time. We were spoilt in the UK, as parents usually have up to 6 weeks before registering the birth of their offspring, as opposed to 3 days in Switzerland!


Sunday 4 January 2015

"Germanish"

The Babelkids only ever learned German because we tried to be an OPOL family. I spoke German with them in an environment that was otherwise very English and had Arabic and French sprinkled in. Exposure to a language via the breadwinner is always problematic, I guess.

So when they speak German, they code-switch a lot. They use English words, often with German grammar.

Today on Google+, I came across this thought experiment by Jakub Marian: "Germanish". As he puts it: "Just as a funny mental exercise, I wanted to try to see what English would look like if it used German grammar, but with English vocabulary preserved as much as possible. The result is a constructed language which I call Germanish.ust as a funny mental exercise, I wanted to try to see what English would look like if it used German grammar, but with English vocabulary preserved as much as possible. The result is a constructed language which I call Germanishust as a funny mental exercise, I wanted to try to see what English would look like if it used German grammar, but with English vocabulary preserved as much as possible. The result is a constructed language which I call Germanish"

This is actually very close to how my kids speak at times, especially BK3.

Funny.

Thursday 1 January 2015

2014: Year of Change

As we bid farwell to 2014 and welcome 2015, I, like the rest of the wolrd reminesce on what happened last year, and wonder what (hopefully good) things the new year will bring.

2014 was a year of massive change for our family. When it started, never did we suspect it would mean:

  • New job for BabelDad.
  • New job for me.
  • New country, language, culture in the landlocked, yet huge melting pot, island that is Switzerland.
  • Saying goodbye to dear friends that we made these last ten years in the North of England.
  • Saying goodbye to our lovely house.
  • Saying goodbye to our dream of going back to the South of France.
  • Getting one sea nearer our families.
  • And last but not least, new pregnancy with BK4 expected in February this year.

So here's to warm memories and new adventures!

Happy new year! Bonne année! Gutes Neues Jahr! عام سعيد