Borrowing Words

Abstract

The role of repetition in child language has received considerable attention in recent decades (see e.g. Bennett-Kastor, 1994; Speidel & Nelson, 1989). The term `repetition’ may refer to speakers repeating their own linguistic expressions (`selfrepetition’), and to speakers repeating expressions uttered by others (`otherrepetition’ or ‘allo-repetition’) (Tannen, 1989). In this paper we will be concerned only with children’s repetition of expressions originally produced by others. Given the ambiguity of the term ‘repetition’, the more transparent ‘appropriation’ will be preferred, as it more clearly indicates the child’s effort to use expressions available in her communicative environment. This use of the term ‘appropriation’ is quite similar to what Wagner-Gough and Hatch called “incorporation” in their discussion of the discourse of second-language learners (1975). The child they studied, Homer, ‘incorporated’ in his speech some of the linguistic expressions he heard, producing sequences such as the following:1.NS: Is Homer a cat? NNS: Is Homer is no. [= Homer isn’t a cat]2.NS: Is this lemonade? NNS: Is no lemonade.3.NS: Where are you going? NNS: Where are you going is house. [= I’m going home] (Wagner-Gough, 1978, p. 164)