3V0335.01 Naming (Daddy’s nose grabbed – comprehension evidence) (12/23/78)

NAMING — I lay in bed this morning during Peggy’s early morning feeding. When she had finished nursing, Gretchen put Peggy down between us. They played together for a while, talking about noses. Then Gretchen asked, “Where’s Daddy’s nose?” Peggy turned around and grabbed my nose.

RELEVANCE — There are three basic points of understanding required for Peggy to interpret what Gretchen said. First, she had to tell (probably from the intonation pattern) that a question was being put to her and that her appropriate response was to indicate the topic of the utterance. Second, she had to know that the topic was a nose. Finally, she had to know the reference was to my nose, not hers or Gretchen’s.

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