Your adorable newborn is a chatterbox, goo-goo-ing, and gaga-ing inaudible sounds that make your heart melt. In between crying fits, changing diapers, and wiping up spittle, itโs a joy to listen to her coo while she smiles at all the world has to offer.
And one of these days that little bundle of joy is going to put together two syllables that sound like a word. Itโs the type of moment you write down in your baby journal, or text to the grandparents the exciting news. And if your lucky, the moment is caught on video for posterity.
This video opens up the age-old debate of whether a babyโs first words are real or imagined by a receptive parent. When your baby goo-gooโs and points at the ball, is she saying the word ball? When she puts two syllables together is she mimicking something sheโs heard and does she equate those words to an object?
Or is she just blabbing sounds? Or as an article in The Atlantic puts itโฆ
โโฆwordlike forms wriggle one by one from the phonological mush like protoโland animals crawling from Cretaceous seas.โ
Eela is an adorable eleven-week old baby. Her mother says her name and immediately after the baby seemingly says it right back to her. Did we mention sheโs only eleven weeks old?
Itโs surprising to hear a baby that young know her name let alone be able to say it back to you. In the United States, so much importance is put on a childโs first words and when they say them, but it may not be so important after all.
The Atlantic article points out how first words are not something that typically goes down in a personโs historical record. Last words are the more significant turn of a phrase that marks a personโs mythology.
โLast words appear as Trivial Pursuit clues. Biographies standardly rely on them as motifs.โ
Two research scientists put together a database of the words parents have heard their children say. The database, called Wordbank, shows that early words revolve around very specific themes.
โInfants tend to talk about more or less the same things, no matter what languages they learn. Across 15 languages, they prefer to say and tend to understand words about sounds, games and social routines, body parts, and important people in their life.โ
Wordbank has gathered data from 29 different languages and dialects.
โIn American English, the 10 most frequent first words, in order, are mommy, daddy, ball, bye, hi, no, dog, baby, woof woof, and banana. In Hebrew, they are mommy, yum yum, grandma, vroom, grandpa, daddy, banana, this, bye, and car. In Kiswahili, they are mommy, daddy, car, cat, meow, motorcycle, baby, bug, banana, and baa baa.โ
Childrenโs first words are due in part to the need for engagement with the social mix of their family life. Kids want to communicate with their parents and caregivers. โHiโ is one of the most frequently sighted first words.
But words are a small part of social interactions. And babyโs first words might not be words per se, but an attempt to elicit an interaction.
When you watch this video, do you hear the baby say her own name? Do you think that sheโs mimicking her mother? Do you think she knows that sheโs saying her name? Does this count as a first word?
Discuss this with some friends and family and see what you all think.
And what about your own child? What word do you remember as being their first word? Does it match up with any of the frequent words above? If not what does that mean?
And what about your own first word. Do you remember what it was? Might be a good discussion to have with your parents. Was it written down in a baby journal?
Whether you believe that first words are important to the development of a child or not, this video is quite adorable. Little eleven-month-old Eela is quite the character.
Sheโs a chatterbox for sure. And sheโs very inquisitive, plump, and giggly. She induces a smile to the face of YouTubers everywhere.
This video brings up a lot of questions and discussion topics, so share this with someone you know will enjoy the debate. Or just watch this baby smile while saying her goo-goo gagas.
What below for this tiny babyโs adorable first word!
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