tonguedeputy
/ˈtʌŋ dɪˌpjuːti/nounVerified NewAlso in: Zungenvertreter (Deutsch) · lenguiputado (Español) · supplélangué (Français)
A child deputized to translate, negotiate, and speak on behalf of parents in the household's weaker language.
The tonguedeputy handles landlords, doctors, and government letters from age eight, gaining an adult vocabulary in one language while doing homework in another. The role builds competence and steals childhood in the same envelope. Many deputies only notice the weight decades later.
Etym. — tongue + deputy — the child as sworn officer of the household's second language.
Novelty check: APPROVE
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