>was a fictional language introduced in the 1965 novel _The Great Brain_, by John D. Fitzgerald. The language was created by J.D.'s older brother Tom Fitzgerald, and claimed by the narrator to be spoken in the fictitious 20th century American frontier town of Adenville. The language was supposedly so difficult to learn and pronounce that even those children whose parents were fluent in the language, as were Tom and his siblings, would only speak the language to torment outsiders trying unsuccessfully to learn it.
The Thambabok language is characterized by the addition of the syllable, "Tham," before verbs, and, "bob" after nouns, with additional syllables at the beginning and/or end of words to vary pronunciation and make it more difficult to understand. Some examples include:
* To sit: Sith tham bob ("sit-tham-bob")
* To eat: Ith tham bob ("eat-tham-bob")
* To walk: Al-kith tham bob ("alkith-tham-bob")
* The teacher: Eth tham bob teach tham bob ("eth-tham-bob teach-tham-bob")
* The doctor: Eth tham bob doctham bob ("eth-tham-bob doctham-bob")
The Thambabok language is a playful and imaginative creation that adds an element of humor and mystery to the novel. While it may not be a practical language for everyday communication, it serves its purpose as a source of entertainment and intrigue for readers of _The Great Brain_.