The card game Wablief !? originated as a school assignment from Marinca. “I wanted to do something with language and came across the booklet ‘1000 forgotten words to cherish’ in the library. I was curious whether those words could be of added value in the time in which we now live,” she says.
Nostalgic
In the game, cards with forgotten words and cards with illustrations are placed on the table. “On the basis of associations with the pictures, players have to guess from each other which forgotten word they have in their heads.” But the purpose is mainly to illustrate those associations.
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Marinca thinks that the forgotten words can provide a connection and hopes to achieve that with the game. “Forgotten words are often a trigger to start a conversation, and nostalgic memories can emerge during a card game,” she explains.
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Old words and their meaning
butt ticker: elegant black men’s coat
pierewaaier: someone who is loose or a strange figure
ludduvuddu: heartbreak
giggling: giggling or joking
pikketanis: a drink
achenebbish: shabby
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So the idea is to link different generations and bring them closer together. “This can lead to great conversations,” says Marinca. “Grandparents can share memories that way and on the other hand children learn to think creatively. I really hope to be able to sell the game, so I started a crowdfunding.”
Language barrier?
You hardly hear the forgotten words anymore, but in the meantime a lot of new words are added. Does this not create a language barrier between the different generations?
According to Vivien Waszink of the Institute for Dutch Language, we like to stick to existing words, even though they are hardly used anymore. “We are afraid that those forgotten words will disappear, all kinds of attempts are being made to keep those words. Most people are hesitant about new words.”
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And those new words often disappear again. “It is not that they replace the old words. It is very often the case that words co-exist. The fact that it is being used more often now, especially by young people, does not mean that the word quarrel or fuss is replaced,” explains Waszink from.
Switch
There is a good chance that an elderly person will find it difficult to follow a conversation between young people. But Waszink still thinks that the language barrier is not too bad. “Young people use their own language among themselves. You can see that it is mainly used in those situations,” she says. “When young people talk to a slightly older person, you will generally see that they know very well that they have to switch to general Dutch.”
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New words and their meaning
herres: literally means ‘to destroy’ but is mainly used by young people to indicate a kind of ‘chaos’
get tjaps: get food.
fatoe: kidding, joker
draris: friends
I go brokko: that you are broken about something, to laugh
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