Abstract
This theoretical essay examines how mental verbs acquire meaning as they emerge in children's lexicon. The article begins by describing the ostension paradigm, which presumes that meaning derives from the relation between a mental verb and a corresponding referent. This paradigm is then critiqued by drawing on Wittgenstein's private language argument. The private language argument contends that meaning is tied to how a person uses a word in everyday discourse as opposed to whether one has correctly mapped a label and referent. Drawing from this argument, the semantic development of mental verbs is considered within the framework of contemporary theories emphasizing semantic development as a process of learning how, when, and for what purpose words are used. The implications of this view for theory of mind development are discussed.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
