Idioglossia (play)

Idioglossia
Written byMark Handley
CharactersNell
T.C: psychologist
Claude: linguist
Jake: psychologist
Date premiered1985
Place premieredUniversity of Utah, Salt Lake City
Original languageEnglish
GenreDrama
SettingBackcountry

Idioglossia is a play by American playwright Mark Handley about a woman who grew up – and most notably, learned to speak – isolated from society. It served as inspiration for the 1994 film Nell.

The title comes from the medical term "idioglossia", meaning an idiosyncratic language that few speak, and associated with "cryptophasia".