Acquisition of Pig Latin

A case study

Bibliographic Data

ID20366269
AuthorsNelson Cowan (0000-0003-3711-4338, University of Missouri, corresponding author)
Year1989
Volume16
Issue2
Pages365-386
Publication date1989-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Child Language (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0305-0009 • E-ISSN: 1469-7602
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0305000900010461
PMID2760132
OpenAlexW2121247212
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited39

A boy's acquisition of Pig Latin was monitored throughout the year preceding first grade. Abilities underlying this game include the identification of words, deletion of the first syllabic onset (i.e. prevocalic consonants) of each word, blending of this onset and the suffix [e1] onto the word's end, and short-term memory for speech units. Performance improved over time as the underlying abilities developed. Meanwhile, various informative errors were made. Throughout most of the study, onsets that were correctly removed from a word's beginning were often added to its end incorrectly; unstressed function words were repeated intact and not transformed; and the first syllabic onset was overlooked when the syllable was unstressed. Because speech games like this one depend upon basic language skills, they can clarify aspects of ordinary language development

Linguistics · Historical Linguistics and Language Studies · Lexicography and Language Studies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Philosophy · Psychology

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