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New names from old words: related aspects of children's metaphors and word compounds*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Loekie Elbers
Loekie Elbers*
Affiliation:
Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht
*
Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht, Vakgroep Psychonomie, Postbus 80–140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Abstract

Language has two mechanisms for creating new names from old words; combining morphemes and changing word meaning. Word compounds are clear cases of ‘combining’, metaphors of ‘changing’. A categorial framework for relating compounds and metaphors is presented and used in discussing aspects of their development. compelled and preferred compounds and metaphors are distinguished. Preferred compounds tend to serve the function of being conceptually precise, whereas preferred metaphors tend to serve ‘suggestive’ functions. Metaphoric compounds, which may integrate both functions, seem to be characteristic of middle childhood. Metaphors then may also acquire a language-learning function. It is suggested that the so-called literal stage, does not exist, but that the forms and functions of metaphor change in the course of development.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , October 1988 , pp. 591 - 617
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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Footnotes

*

I am grateful to Willem Levelt for his stimulating comments, and to my colleagues in the department for their discussion of a previous version of this paper. My special thanks go to let van Bekkum for her help, first in (metaphorically) tearing the paper apart, later in (literally) putting the pieces together, and to Frank Wijnen for his help in sharpening the Introduction.

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