The Forbidden Experiment

On Thu, 25 Nov 1999, Paul Bennett wrote:

> Irina>>>>>>
> Ah, that's why our twins never did that (until all three of the
> kids started conlanging a few months ago); they've hardly been in a
> language-sparse situation :-) <<<<<<
>
> Wow!  They're young, even for the age most of the list seem to have
> started. (ISTR the youngest two are five-ish?)
Four and a bit, actually. The eldest will be six in January, but we
often forget that she's still only five because she's in first grade
(advanced half a year) among the six- and seven-year-olds and it rubs
off a bit.

> Please tell us more!  Is it "real" conlanging?
I think so. They sing elaborate songs, reproduceable (they remember
them for a day or so, and then forget them because they go on to do
other things and can't write them down yet) and tell us "that's a
song in my language". They make up words for things, not purely a
relex, but things like "coat and shoes" (as a unit), or "to have an
elephant" (and then "to have a large elephant" is a recognizably
cognate word).

   Irina

--
            Varsinen an laynynay, saraz no arlet rastynay.
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