3V0819.01 Progressive Verbs (4/20/80) Peggy has used present participles as progressive verb forms in a descriptive mode (as on last page). In two incidents, the context makes clear her richer semantic framework served by those forms. Yesterday I sat on the front stoop. Peggy came up the path and before reaching the stairs said to …
3V0813.01 Why because! (4/14/80) Peggy has been driving us crazy with her “why?” queries (I am much more aware of this than I was with the two earlier children). Her use of the question is at least twofold (see also 4/12/80 entry), as conversation continuer and as argument. By continuer, I mean Peggy uses “why” …
3V0811.02 ‘That’s what’ — a microscript (4/12/80) Peggy’s “Why?” question — which has come to follow our every utterance to her — has become quite annoying. Sometimes we ignore her question, treating it as an annoyance. Other reactions of ours, similar in kind, are “because I told you to” or in truncated form “because…” Outside, …
3V0805.01 Language as formulating experience (Eavesdropping) (4/6/80) Peggy wakes early. As I brought some morning coffee to Gretchen, I heard Peggy talking in the crib (through the wall) “Look at the spider, swinging…swinging…” Why is this significant ? Language as formulation of experience, expressing the flow of understanding without communicative intention; fluency as delineating the …
3V0804.01 Directed speech (4/5/80) I consider the appearance of this phenomenon one of the most striking evidences of the elevation of control. Several days ago, Peggy approached me with her favorite toy, “Bear Hug.” She said to me, “Say ‘Hi bear’.” I did as she asked. This was repeated a few times, with Scurry as …
3V0803.01 Agent, patient, and word order: [Peggy hurt — ] (4/4/80 or earlier) Miriam sat by the stove, reviewing her multiplication flash cards. Peggy, Mad at her for some reasons, hit at Miriam and hurt herself by striking the flash cards. She cried, “Mimi hurt Peggy !” Miriam corrected her, “No. You did it yourself. …
3V0788.02 Peggy love bear — any way will do (3/20/80) So Peggy began a conversation. I repeated, “Peggy love bear?” . P: Right , she replied.. B. “Bear love Peggy, ” I continued. P. “Right.” (again). B. Finally “Love Bear Peggy ?” I asked . P: “OK, ” agreed Peggy.
3V0781.01 “Peggy Lawler” – what symbols mean to her (3/13/80) Ever since Miriam’s gift of the Grover Book (wherein she wrote PEGGY LAWLER on the inside cover to show ownership), Peggy has interpreted any group of letters as meaning “Peggy Lawler.” She distinguishes (more or less) between four things: letters, seen as individuals; pictures in …
3V0777.01 Analogies — their incomprehension; deep role in cognition. (3/9/80) Peggy woke me at midnight, she had a stuffy nose and was crying for her Mommy. we played in the sitting room, she in my lap. Pointing to a foxy, she said ‘Get foxy.’ I replied ‘Too far away.’ She continued ‘Like a fader.’ Surprised, …
3V0775.03 Who’s that? — syngnostic use (3/7780) Peggy does not distinguish Who and What. consequently, when requesting the name of an object she asks, ‘Who’s that?’ Today she held up a toy, plastic doll and asked “Who’s that?” “You mean your dolly?’ I responded. She then became more specific, pointing with her finger on the …
3V0775.02 Repetition and further specification (3/7/80) Gretchen mentioned hearing Peggy do a most interesting thing : she first said, ‘ Lookit table.’ then immediately ‘repeated’ the phrase more precisely as ‘Look at the table.’ This is an example of the incremental standardization of speech production under her own direction (this may be well compared to …
3V0774.01 Jokes as communication protocols (3/6/80) Miriam has been telling (surely in Peggy’s hearing) a knock-knock : M : Knock knock. V : Who’s there ? M : Tim. V : Tim who ? M : Tim – ber ! At supper this evening, Peggy said : P : knock knock. B : Who’s there …
3V0769.01 Miriam’s Pillow; idea: function words as pause fillers (3/1/80) Because in the worst periods of her allergies, Miriam slept better sitting up, we bought her a king sized pillow. It is longer than Peggy is tall and wider. Thus Peggy finds it perfect for falling on. Miriam tried to take it away while Peggy …
3V0767.01 Don’t rub your eyes”; imitation as analysis by synthesis (2/28/80) So, Gretchen reminded me. I sat in my chair with Peggy and one of her books on my lap. (My eyes get itchy from allergic reactions and I rub them excessively, almost without noticing). Peggy turned, looked at me (after I had stopped) and …
3V0749.01 Words and Numbers; primary roots of discrimination (2/10/80) Miriam and Peggy play with my yardstick a lot (a free one from a local hardware store, it has the measure and advertisements on it). Miriam marches around with it on her shoulder: “hup, two, three, four; hup…” Peggy marches too, “hup, two, three; hup, two, …
3V0747.03 Number/temporal names (2/8/80) Miriam tells me she has asked Peggy the time and Peggy responded “eleven.” The answer was not correct but was significant as a number name. Peggy may have been imitating a specific response heard from some one else in response to the same question. Miriam asked again of Peggy, in my …
3V0747.02 Pause deletion in practice (2/8/80) Peggy plays with a knitted pocket book belonging to her sister Miriam. She walked past my place at the table, talking to herself: Mimi…pocket-book… Mimi pocket-book.” This example argues that Peggy is constructing compact phrases “purposefully” by deleting pauses which occur naturally in a “commentary” mode of expression wherein …
3V0743.02 More already compacted phrases; an invention (2/4/80) Peggy drinks a lot of juice, and it’s not surprising that she should produce a two-element phrase such as “good juice.” One could argue this was purely imitative by her merely taking cognizance of part of the question she heard frequently, “Is that good juice?/Is that good …
3V0736.01 [pick oo up] (1/28/80) Peggy has begun to say “Pick oo up” instead of or in addition to just “up.” Over the subsequent days, victim of a bad cold, Peggy used this phrase constantly. Recently Bob noted that he heard her say ”Pick up.” dropping out the “oo” [you]. Peggy probably developed this phrase …
3V7033.03 More variations and pause deletions; noun-noun structure (1/25/80) Peggy, Gretchen, and I drove over to Clinton to retrieve Scurry from the kennel. As we rode along, I tried explaining my views of the importance of Peggy’s variations and pause deletions. Peggy was more interested in my furry gloves. She asked for them (they were …