7. A longitudinal study of the acquisition of diminutives in Dutch
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Agnita Souman
Abstract
The acquisition of diminutives in the language of three Dutch-speaking children from the Netherlands is described on the basis of longitudinal observational data between the age of 21 and 36 months. It is shown that diminutives occur early, i.e. in the first stage of vocabulary development, and that the frequency of diminutives is high and increases over time. The language of the parents does not shown such a development, but they seem to provide more diminutive lemmas in the first stages of diminutive acquisition. Furthermore, a higher occurrence of diminutives is found in child directed speech than in adult speech. The allomorphs that occur in child directed speech are used with relative similar frequency in child speech, except for certain low frequent ones.
Abstract
The acquisition of diminutives in the language of three Dutch-speaking children from the Netherlands is described on the basis of longitudinal observational data between the age of 21 and 36 months. It is shown that diminutives occur early, i.e. in the first stage of vocabulary development, and that the frequency of diminutives is high and increases over time. The language of the parents does not shown such a development, but they seem to provide more diminutive lemmas in the first stages of diminutive acquisition. Furthermore, a higher occurrence of diminutives is found in child directed speech than in adult speech. The allomorphs that occur in child directed speech are used with relative similar frequency in child speech, except for certain low frequent ones.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- 1. Form and meaning of diminutives in Lithuanian child language 13
- 2. Diminutives in Russian at the early stages of acquisition 43
- 3. The acquisition of diminutives in Croatian 73
- 4. Diminutives in Greek child language 89
- 5. The role of diminutives in the acquisition of Italian morphology 125
- 6. The acquisition of diminutives in Spanish 155
- 7. A longitudinal study of the acquisition of diminutives in Dutch 183
- 8. Diminutives and hypocoristics in Austrian German (AG) 207
- 9. Acquisition of diminutives in Hungarian 231
- 10. Diminutives in Finnish child-directed and child speech 263
- 11. The (scarcity of) diminutives in Turkish child language 279
- 12. Acquiring diminutive structures and meanings in Hebrew 295
- 13. Diminutives provide multiple benefits for language acquisition 319
- Conclusions 343
- Subject index 351
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- 1. Form and meaning of diminutives in Lithuanian child language 13
- 2. Diminutives in Russian at the early stages of acquisition 43
- 3. The acquisition of diminutives in Croatian 73
- 4. Diminutives in Greek child language 89
- 5. The role of diminutives in the acquisition of Italian morphology 125
- 6. The acquisition of diminutives in Spanish 155
- 7. A longitudinal study of the acquisition of diminutives in Dutch 183
- 8. Diminutives and hypocoristics in Austrian German (AG) 207
- 9. Acquisition of diminutives in Hungarian 231
- 10. Diminutives in Finnish child-directed and child speech 263
- 11. The (scarcity of) diminutives in Turkish child language 279
- 12. Acquiring diminutive structures and meanings in Hebrew 295
- 13. Diminutives provide multiple benefits for language acquisition 319
- Conclusions 343
- Subject index 351
