AN INFANT'S PROGRESS IN LANGUAGE. 589 



but studied from the real sounds ; for as made by the child they are 

 decidedly nearer to the real sounds than the baa baa, etc., used by 

 adult voices. 



"Baby" (or rather be bi). This word was now formed with fair 

 success, but soon dropped for a time. About a month afterward it was 

 resumed, and became the child's name for herself. This was long be- 

 fore she attempted any other dissyllable. It was pronounced, however, 

 rather as a reduplicated monosyllable. 



Sixteen months. JBd (ball), sometimes ba. Td (1, thanks ; 2, take, 

 when offering something) : this was deliberately taught her. 



Playing with a ball became a favorite amusement at this time. She 

 would throw a ball out of the window and expect it to be returned. 

 When we tried a regular game of ball she seemed to think the point 

 of the game was to get possession of the ball and keep it. A certain 

 capacity for dramatic play was now first observed. The child knew 

 the various animals in a toy menagerie by name, and would make be- 

 lieve to feed them with a spoon. About a month later she was taught 

 a piece of rudimentary drama. The picture of the "little boy that 

 cries in the lane " and gets no wool had fixed her attention in a book 

 of nursery-rhymes, by this time constantly in hand, and now, on being 

 asked, " What does the little boy that cries in the lane do ?" she puts 

 up her hands to her eyes and whimpers. She laughs afterward, which 

 I think is fair evidence that she understands the performance and con- 

 siders it a good joke. 



Seventeen months. Ni (knee). This is a real word, used in a 

 special and at the same time extended meaning. It signifies, Take 

 me on your knee and show me pictures ; and also expresses in a gen- 

 eral way the idea of something (generally the cat) being on a person's 

 lap, so that rii not unfrequently means, I want to see the cat on your 

 lap. She also puts a toy dog on her knee and repeats ni several times 

 with great satisfaction. About this time " baby " came to be freely 

 used as an imperative or desiderative, combined with movements or 

 gestures indicating an object the sense being, J" want that. 



Seventeen to eighteen months. Ma md, mother. I have no note 

 of when this word began to be used (probably it was some months be- 

 fore this), but it was well established by this time at latest. 



Nd ni or fid ni (granny). 



P'l (please). On learning to say " please " in this fashion the child 

 left off putting her hands together to ask for things, which she had 

 been taught to do before she could speak. 



Pe pe, pencil (only once heard). 



Pa pa. This was taught her as a synonym for da dd, but she 

 would not use it. Both " paper " and " pepper " (as common objects 



