The Mind of the Child, Part II: The Development of the Intellect, International Education; Series Edited By William T. Harris, Volume IX.Preyer, William T.
Science
The Mind of the Child, Part II: The Development of the Intellect, International Education; Series Edited By William T. Harris, Volume IX.
Preyer, William T.
Child development; Child psychology
With regard to the independent application of all the words repeated, in
part correctly, in part with distortions, a multiplicity of meanings is
especially noteworthy in the separate expressions used by the child. The
primitive word _atta_, used with uncommon frequency, has now among
others the following significations: "I want to go; he is gone; she is
not here; not yet here; no longer here; there is nothing in it; there is
no one there; it is empty; it is nowhere; out there; go out." To the
question "Where have you been?" the child answers, on coming home,
_atta_, and when he has drunk all there was in the glass, he likewise
says _atta_. The concept common to all the interpretations adduced,
"gone," seems to be the most comprehensive of all that are at the
child's disposal. If we choose to regard a word like this _atta_ as
having the force of a whole sentence, we may note many such primitive
sentences in this month. Thus, _mann_ means, on one occasion, "A man has
come," then almost every masculine figure is named _mann_; _auff_,
accompanied with the offering of a key, signifies the wish for the
opening of a box, and is cried with animation after vain attempts to
open a watch. The concepts "male being" and "open" are thus not only
clear, but are already named with the right words. The distinguishing of
men from women appears for months past very strikingly in this, that the
former only are greeted by reaching out the hand. The manifold meaning
of a single word used as a sentence is shown particularly in the cry of
_papa_, with gestures and looks corresponding to the different meanings
of it. This one word, when called out to his father, means (1) "Come
play with me"; (2) "Please lift me up"; (3) "Please give me that"; (4)
"Help me get up on the chair"; (5) "I can't," etc.
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