Wow, post number 700. Since I'm kind of into lists these days, I started making a list of the words Kent says at 18 months, just so we'll remember what a loquacious little boy he is. There are probably a few I've forgotten, since I've had to run back over to the computer a few times today to add more that pop back into my head. But here's a list to give you a glimpse into his mind, plus my commentary where it's appropriate or particularly amusing.

If you're not the kind of person who's interested in reading the entire list, be sure at least to check out the section on animal noises and other sound effects. I'll just tell you that his words are shortened versions of the real words, sometimes shortened in a very cute and/or obscure manner. We're quite adept at interpreting since we spend so much time around him, but other people are often incredulous that we can understand him. There are probably 130ish on this list, plus others that I've no doubt forgotten.

Also interesting is that some of his first signed words, which he was signing before he could speak, still have the sign attached to them now that he's saying them out loud as well.

***

Kent's words at 18 months

Characters:

Elmo = Melmo
Big Bird = Bah-Boh
Ernie = Yin-Yee
Cookie Monster = Kay-Kay
Abby = Aaah
Grover = Doh
Baby Bear = Baby
Mr. Noodle = Noo-Noo
Nemo = Mee-Mee

Loved ones:

Kent = Kay or Tay
Mommy = Mama (also used for other women)
Daddy = Dada (also used for other men)
Patti = Paa
Celia = Cee
GranDebbie = Day-Day
Bapa = Papa or Bapa
Grandma = Ma
Grandpa = Papa
Mimi = Mimi
Popop = Papa
Granny = Day
Mary = May
Gaines = Day (Mary and Gaines are a couple from church who babysit him a lot)
Roomba = Boo-Bah (yes, the Roomba is one of Kent's loved ones)

Food words:

eat = ee
hot dog = dah
cookie = kay-kay
cracker = cah
bib = bo
tray = tay
more = moh (+ sign)
all done = (sign)
milk = mo (sometimes + sign)
banana = nana
yogurt = yo
strawberry = sah
water = wah
juice = doo
cheese = tsee
blueberry = blue-blue or blue-boo (or some variant)
cereal = cee
oatmeal = mee
egg = ay
meat/meatball = mee
noodle = noo-noo (for spaghetti, mac and cheese, etc.)
pea = pea
pancake = pay-pay
raisin = ray-ray
coffee = cah (no, we're not giving *him* coffee yet)
hot = hah
warm = wah
cool = coo
cold = co
plate = pay
fork = fah
spoon = soo
microwave = mah (always said with gusto)
beep = bee

Other words:

ball = bah
bath = baa (+ sign)
squirt = so (when his bath frog squirts him)
baby = baby (also used for kids in general)
cat = caa
dog = dah
fish = fih
bird = bah
owl = ah
tree = tee
flower = fah
block = blah
boom = boo (when he knocks over a tower of blocks)
potty = papa (you can see this word gets used a lot, in different contexts)
pee pee = pee pee
poo poo = poo poo
toilet = tay (as in, "I just peed in my potty! Dump it into the toilet, quick!!")
flush = flah
blue = blue
other colors = blue (used as first response when we ask him what color something is)
green = ghee
orange = ah
red = weh
purple = puh-puh
play = play or pay (+ sign)
snow = hnow (this one cracks me up every single time he says it)
yay = yay! (+ enthusiastic arm waves)
go = go (used when handing us the book Go Dog, Go! or leading us around when he wants us to go with him)
city = sih (used when handing us the book We Sing the City)
jeans = dee
sock = sah
shoe = soo
glasses = guh-lah
help = ho (+ sign)
yes = uh-huh
no = no or nono
low = lo
high = hah
down = dow
up = ah
closed = cloh
open = oh
Christmas = tay-tay
library = lie-lie
blanket = blay or bay
night-night = nah-nah
Good Morning = may! (he likes to "play night-night" during the day and lie down, then pop up, then lie back down, then pop back up, saying the appropriate greeting each time)
goodbye = bah-bah
hello = lo or lolo
thank you = choo-choo
nursing = ya-ya (etymology: "Kent, would you like to nurse?" "Ya-ya!")
now = now
school bus = shloo-shlah (you wouldn't believe how long it took us to figure this one out)
car = cah
truck = tah
lap = lah (as in, "I would like to sit in your lap to read this book!")

Animal noises and other sound effects:

moo (cow, horse, any large quadruped)
bah, bah (chicken)
meeeoooowoowwwwowwww (cat)
ah, ah (dog)
howwwooooooooo (anything that howls)
gowwwwowwwww (anything that growls)
rih, rih (frog)
nya, nya, nya (Cookie Monster)
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn... bee! (microwave)

Numbers:

one = wah
two = two
three = fee
four = foh
five = fie
six = sih
seven = sih
eight = ay
nine = nie
ten = teh (followed by "yay!")
eleven = leh
anything in the teens = kjalsdfj-tee
nineteen = nie
twenty = teh (yay!)
anything in the twenties = teh-ljdsklfja, etc. (he'll "count" with us as high as we want to go, mumbling along as he imitates us and saying "yay!" after every tenth number)

Letters he recognizes by sight and points out (once he learns N, he'll be able to spell his name!):

W (doo)
P (pee)
O (oh)
K (kay or tay)
E (eee)
T (tee)

Solfege (yes, solfege):

Do, mi, fa, so, la, ti, and back to do (he skips "re," but we'll work on that)

Labels: Kent, language

• posted by erica 1/10/2009 08:14:00 PM
•