Groilish

SPOKEN BY

Groilish is spoken by Jumbeelia and the other giants who live in Groil. When Jumbeelia climbs down to the land of the miniature people, the iggly pops, she brings back three of them (Collette, Stephen, and baby Poppy) as playthings.

DOCUMENTED BY

Julia Donaldson (1948– ) introduces younger readers to constructed languages in The Giants and The Joneses (2004). She includes a dictionary to explain what the giants are saying, although much of the meaning of their speech can be inferred by context.

A TASTE OF THE LANGUAGE

aheesh (verb)—to help

blebber (noun)—sheep

gloosh (verb)—to drink

jum (noun)—home

kraggle (verb)—to kill

lolshly (adjective)—white

niffle (verb)—to give

oggle (verb)—to look

NUMBERING SYSTEM

wunk—one

twunk—two

thrink—three

PHILOLOGICAL FACT

The Gruffalo, based on Julia Donaldson’s book, was made into a 2009 animated movie, starring Helena Bonham Carter, James Corden, and Tom Wilkinson. Robbie Coltrane played the Gruffalo.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Review the works listed above, the resources listed in the bibliography, and the web pages: “The Giants and the Joneses” (www.amazon.com/Giants-Joneses-Julia-Donaldson/dp/0805078053) and “Julia Donaldson Talks Groilish” (www.britishcouncil.org/arts-literature-matters-3-donaldson.htm).

SPEAKING OF LANGUAGES

I have always been fascinated by the sound of words and enjoy playing around with them, which is partly why many of my picture-book texts, such as The Snail and the Whale and The Gruffalo, are in rhyme.

—Julia Donaldson

Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone.

—Albert Einstein