Overextension in Early Language Development

Authors

Leslie Rescorla, Bryn Mawr CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Version

Publisher's PDF

Publication Title

Journal of Child Language

Volume

7

Publication Date

1980

Abstract

This research explored overextension in the early vocabularies of six children, followed in a language diary study from 0 to 8. Results indicated that only one-third of the first 75 words acquired by each child were overextended. A small set of high-frequency, early acquired words accounted for a disproportionate number of overextensions. Overextensions were classified into three types: categorical overinclusions, analogical overextensions and predicate statements. Four types of information served as the bases for word applications: perceptual, action-functional, affective and contextual. The use of words to denote associative complexes of a well-organized, systematic character was discussed as a characteristic form of early word usage.

Publisher's Statement

© 1980 by Cambridge University Press. Available on publisher's site at http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0305000900002658.

Citation

Rescorla, Leslie A. "Overextension in Early Language Development." Journal of Child Language 7, no. 2 (1980): 321-335, doi: 10.1017/S0305000900002658.

DOI

10.1017/S0305000900002658