Early Lexicons: What Do They Mean?

Abstract

NELSON, KATHERINE; RESCORLA, LESLIE; GRUENDEL, JANICE; and BENEDICT, HELEN. Early Lexicons: What Do They Mean? CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 960-968. Data from 4 recent language studies are examined to explore issues in concept-word relationships. Data on both comprehension and production of words suggest that the typical sequence in lexical development is generalization from a particular referent to wider use. While overextensions are common, the majority of early words are not overextended. The data indicate that a variety of features serve as the basis for word application-perceptual, affective, and functional. It is argued that early word use serves a variety of semantic functions, such as categorization and predication. The data suggest that young children have some intuitive grasp of natural semantic domains, such as vehicles or animals. It is noted that comprehension data often reveal a more differentiated knowledge of semantic categories than productive word use conveys. The paper concludes with a discussion of the relevance of the data for Nelson's concept-matching model.