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Perspectives on Abstract Concepts: Cognition, language and communication
Edited by Marianna Bolognesi and Gerard J. Steen
[Human Cognitive Processing 65] 2019
► pp. 241–261

Chapter 11
Abstract concepts in development

Spontaneous production of complex words in Swedish child language

For young children, grasping abstract concepts and words poses a challenge. This chapter reports a case-study in which I discuss the abstract concepts expressed by complex words (440 types) by a Swedish girl (1–3 years). The data show that complex adjectives expressing evaluative content emerged prior age 2. These types of adjectives might thus be one step towards the learning of abstract concepts. The child’s novel compounds, combining concepts on several variables, are proof of her ability to gradually abstract away from perception-based reality. They can therefore be another means in the process of building abstract representation. In conclusion, this study confirms a view of abstract representation being built up gradually by relying on multiple factors such as linguistic, experiential, and contextual information.

Keywords: abstract concepts, conceptual combination, diary data, language development, Swedish child language, word-formation
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The grounding of abstract concepts
    • 2.1Abstract and internal state words in language development
    • 2.2Embodied conceptual combination in language development
    • 2.3Word-formation in language development
  • 3.Diary data
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1Abstract complex words reflecting affective and sensorimotor information
    • 4.2Novel complex words and their relation to perception-based reality
  • 5.Concluding remarks
  • Acknowledgment
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 6 June 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.65.12ros
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