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The functions of novel word compounds
1Department of Communication Disorders, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.
Journal of Child Language
|February 1, 1993
Summary
Novel word compounds may not always fill lexical gaps or enhance precision. This study found that their use, even by children, doesn't always align with communicative needs, questioning traditional assumptions.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Novel word compounds are traditionally assumed to fill lexical gaps and enhance communicative precision.
- However, spontaneous language use suggests compounds may not always serve these functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functions of novel noun-noun compounds in spontaneous and experimental language use.
- To explore the relationship between communicative demands and the production of novel compounds in children and adults.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of spontaneous language samples to identify novel compounds.
- Experimental tasks involving referential and non-referential communication with inherently and non-inherently related referents.
- Participants included 28 five-year-old children and 16 adults.
Main Results:
- Novel compounds were observed in spontaneous language even without clear lexical gaps.
- Both children and adults produced more compounds for inherently related referents.
- Children showed sensitivity to communicative precision needs but did not increase compound use accordingly.
Conclusions:
- The assumed functions of novel word compounds, such as filling lexical gaps and enhancing precision, require further examination.
- Communicative demands do not solely drive the production of novel noun-noun compounds.
- The study highlights a potential disconnect between the perceived and actual functions of novel word formation.