Evaluation
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 …
3V0780.03 Shoe Daddy off: clear example of non-standard syntax (3/12/80) Peggy said this as I removed my shoes. It is perfectly clear she was describing what I did and it is also clear what she meant, “Daddy is taking off his shoe.” the syntax appears quite non-standard.
3V0780.02 Inquiry: first normal interrogative [where’s Cat a Hat ?] (3/12/80) Peggy: “Read ‘Cat a Hat.’… Where’s Cat a Hat’?” The first time I’ve heard her use the normal interrogative instead of “XX is where ?” She has also begun to say “Why?” all the time. Gretchen.
3V0780.01 Conversation at dinner: multiple “thanks” (3/12/80) Peggy dropped her fork and Robby retrieved it. P: Robby get fork.” G: Yes, Robby got the fork for you. Peggy, you should say ‘thank you.’ P. Thank oo. R: You’re welcome. P. /dats./ [Thanks, idiosyncratic] R. You’re welcome. Gretchen.
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 …
3V0771.02 Scurry and cookies Peggy all too often shares her food with the dog, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not so. Today she took some cookies from a little easter basket made by Miriam and carried them over to Scurry. she then said (and repeated 3 more times) “Scurry eat some.” Here Gretchen censured Peggy, telling …
3V0771.01 Reflexive reference: [me do it self] (3/3/80) Going upstairs “Somebody broke oo gate.” [True] Objecting to being carried. “Me do it self.”
3V0769.03 Reading Hop on Pop (3/1/80) Peggy sat reading in the middle of the study floor. Was Gretchen sitting with her ? I can’t recall., but I know she was least in the room. Peggy turned the first page, pointed at the picture and said, “Up // Pup.” (This is the large letter text of …
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 …
3V0757.02 [Where Mimi is ?] (2/8/80) Miriam often plays with Peggy, but she was away from home for several hours today sledding. At one point Peggy asked, “Where Mimi is ?” and we told her. This is another example of non-standard sentence order in a question like “Where Pony is?”
3V0754.01 [Robby offa chair] (2/15/80) Robby was given a chair by his great grandmother when he was 2. It was handed down to Miriam and now to Peggy, but he still feels privileged to sit on it (though much too big). Peggy asserts the chair is hers (after all, she is the only one of …
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, …
3V0748.01 [Where pony is ?] (2/9/80) Peggy’s favorite books are now about a pony, Little Black. It is kept on a shelf with another fifty or more books. when Peggy wants a specific book read, she usually carries it to her reader and says “read…some- name.” She has referred to missing favorites. “Bridge?…read Bridge ?” …
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 …
3V0747.01 [Culdy me… bite]; very non-standard form (2/8/80) Peggy came to me after playing with the dog and said “Bite hand” I asked, “Who?” She replied, “Culdy me…bite.” It’s obvious Peggy meant the dog bit her. The agent and patient were named with no intervening pauses. I consider this a clear, natural example of a …
3V0744.01 A catalog of the kinds of things Peggy says (2/24/80) 2/5 “mama, look…did it.” 2/6 (Asking for cookies, and being told the wrapper was empty and the cookies all gone.) “Robby’s eat it.” 2/7 “Lookit…Lookit that” 2/9 (Rummaging around the bookshelf) Where Pony is ? [ie a book called “Little Black, a Pony.”] 2/11 …
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 …
3V0743.01 “Scurry” for the first time. (2/4/80) Today Peggy said “Scurry” for the first observed time. (getting her mouse, identifying owner.) Gretchen.
3V0742.01 Partly pause-deleted phrases (2/3/80) Peggy produced several phrases today exhibiting compaction by pause deletion – but such [is] not universal: Three examples: “toys… love-em” (at toy box) “Culdy…like-it.” (that mouse again) “find-it” The last has been common in Peggy’s recent speech and might be considered a precursor of the development of compound structure.
3V0738.01 “Up on the bed”; [pocket…in…into pocket] (1/30/80) In our bedroom today, Peggy came over to the bed and said “Up on the bed.” [she wanted to get up.] Later she was playing with her “gold” buttons in the pocket of my sweater. She put them back, remarking “Pocket…in…into pocket…” Gretchen.
3V0736.02 Culdy’s mouse; apparent possessive (1/28/80) Peggy has been of late forcing the dog’s toy on her, will she or not. With Scurry in the other room, Peggy picked up the toy and very distinctly and precisely named it as “Culdy’s mouse” then ran off to put it on her. This is an uncontestable use …
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 …
3V0733.02 More variations. (1/25/80) Over the past few days, Peggy has been using the words ‘many’ and ‘more’ in various contexts. Example : sitting on my lap, Peggy looked up at the picture illustrating Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims, and remarked P : ‘Many (unclear).’ G : What ? What did you say ? P : Many …
3V0733.01 [chin hurts] Variation anchor, abetted by questioning. (1/25/80) Peggy somehow hurt herself, and when asked what was the matter, replied, ‘Chin hurts.’ A few days previously, as I was changing her diaper, I became aware that she was talking away. P : ‘…neck….hurt (or hurts, I could not notice)…’ G : ‘Your neck hurts, …
3V0729.01 [bye, X] -> [bye chair]…[bye table]…[by stairs]…(as bedroom entered) [bye bed] [bye culdy]…bye Robby… bye Mimi…(bob, from afar, “what about daddy?”) bye daddy] [bye house…bye car…bye trees…bye house (a neighbor, the car now moving) Going upstairs to have her diapers changed, Peggy recited a litany as we passed.
3V0728.04 [to-me]: another bound preposition (1/20/80) Asking for a xxxttle (candy) Peggy held out her hand and commanded, ‘to me.’ Gretchen.
3V0728.03 [take X] Central note on syntax development: Anchored on verb “take”; following agent is variable. The phrases (sentences) made of two elements; they have internal pauses deleted. (1/20/80) Miriam brought to my attention today what I expect to be primary evidence for the pause deletion development of Peggy’s speech. Miriam reported that Peggy was …
3V0728.01 CAUSE – toilet training; cause, agent, effect (1/20/80) We have tried to interest Peggy in using a small toilet. She plays with it, pushing around the house, chasing the dog with it, and so forth – investigating the removable pot and peering at it every which way. Now she knows the clothes come off …
3V0728.01 [Robby…lookit] vocative + verb example (plus others) (1/20/80) Another example of a vocative-verb to element structure. Peggy, just now, (1/29/80) came out with another, more directly comparable to ‘Mimi…did-it’), she carried a book to Robby and said ‘Robby, do-it.’
3V0723.01 [chlokat mook] spontaneous expression of desire. (1/15/80) Spontaneously, as we were heading home over Stepstone Hill, Peggy remarked [chlokat mook] “Chocolate milk.” Gretchen.
3V0720.02 [joke… knock-knock]: verbally formulated classification based on a single exemplar. 1/12/80) We all sat at table this evening. Either Gretchen and I teased and all of us laughed, Peggy too. I believe I asked her what she laughs about (the joke was one she could not comprehend). Peggy responded, “joke…” and then continued “knock-knock.” …
3V0720.01 [fork…hurts…arm…me]: Peggy’s most complex phrase construction before the upsurge of pause deletion and appearance of anchoring with variation in her verbal productions (1/12/80) Peggy stabbed herself with the tines of a fork. I can’t recall whether she was in her high chair or helping unload the dishwasher, but her words and pauses are certain. …
3V0719.01 [gone…room], [found…floor] more examples of loose structures. (1/11/80) [gone…room] Peggy wanted to go out with me. As I stood with my coat on by the door, I asked, “Where’s your coat ?” Peggy responded, “Gone…room.” She then ran into the living room (which she refers to as “room” and returned with her coat.. [Found… …
3V0718.01 Who’s there ? (Original notes on homely binding and lonely discovery) (1/10/80) Peggy’s use of the knock-knock joke script has been monolithic — ie. she would not respond in the victim’s role, nor would she continue in any way no matter what response her victim made. This morning, when I brought some coffee to …
3V0714.01 [own stool… on it] Example of two loosely joined tight substructures: needed descriptions of cross level tightness of binding. (1/6/80) Miriam cooked soup at the stove and Peggy wanted to see. Miriam offered the use of her small red stool, one of two. Peggy chose to get the second, put it next to Miriam, …
3V0709.02 [Mimi did it…Peggy’s] Good example; issues important; developing a vocabulary to describe observed phenomena. (1/1/80) The situation to which the locution applies was Miriam’s making a wrapped package, a present, and giving it to Peg. Peggy brought it to me to show. what is significant here is the pause/connected structure of the phrasing. There …
3V0707.01 Color names: beginning of a long story. (12/30/79) Peggy wears plastic pants over her diapers. Most are transparent. One pair is pink and she prefers that pair. While changing her recently, Gretchen began putting on a pair of transparent pants. Peggy cried plaintively, “Black, black” while pointing in the direction of the pink pants …
3V0706.03 [fork!…for-me]: example of bound preposition (12/29/79) Peggy sat in her high chair. Miriam had made an open faced cheese sandwich and given two pieces to Peggy. It is our custom to eat such fare with our fingers. Peggy had put her fork on the table beyond immediate reach. Other of us ate food with …
3V0706.02 Puppy in Boston: default location of “gone” animate things (12/29/79) Over the past several weeks, Peggy has often given evidence of distinguishing between the sound of a bark and the word as the name of the sound. One of the puzzles Peggy received for Christmas was a five piece Puppy puzzle. Peggy came crawling …
3V0706.01 Knock knock jokes: story used in ACR chapter of CECD. (12/29/79) Jokes have been much in the air lately. I’ve worked on OCL: Inventing Jokes. Miriam made me a joke book as a Christmas present. Peggy has begun telling knock-knock jokes, apparently in imitation (without instruction): Peggy: knock-knock ? Victim: Who’s there ? Peggy: …
3V0705.01 Social Shaping of utterance word order change 12/28/79 (see 12/22/79) Today Peggy remarked “Drop…hat…water.” [Usually when she points to this and says whatever, I respond “Yes. The man dropped his hat into the water.” Later on, she phrased it “drop…water…hat” Coming back from Gordy’s, Bob made some remark about beer. Peggy immediately cried “pop-pop …
3V0703.02 Adjectives and Causes “shitty…toilet…diaper…init.” (12/26/79) Carried past the bathroom where her newly removed diaper was soaking: “shitty…toilet…diaper…init.” Gretchen.
3V0703.01 [Mimi…mad…Mimi…fall down] Expressed speculation. (12/26/79) Miriam has been playing with her old set of infant size legos which we gave Peggy for a Christmas present. She has tried through much of the day to construct a mobile dog (dragon?) and failed with amazing consistency. Lately cries of “awg !!” have been coming down from …
3V0701.01 [Mine…Peggy…Peggy’s…back]:clear use of a possessive, but one where syntactic structure is decidedly subordinate to the context; Peggy’s picture (12/24/79) I bought some Polaroid film the other day and today had taken a picture of Peggy sitting with me in my chair. I set it on the piano to develop completely. when her image appeared, …