I don't like to brag, but lately I've realized that I'm tri-lingual. It took me all growing up, college classes, living abroad and a good chunk of my savings account to learn my second language, but my third came quite easily. Actually, my 1 year old taught it to me. (See if you can read just the "Josiah" part and figure it out.)
Me- "Sure buddy! We can go on a walk."
Josiah- (points)..."icky...a-ocky?"
Me- " You're right, a chicken! Would you like to hold that rock while you're sitting in your stroller"
Josiah- "yup. Mommy? gucky bebe.....a-de!"
Me- "Yes, the baby is holding a duck...oh yea, look, a deer!"
Josiah- "Mommy? ottle uck...aaargh!!"
Me- "Oh, is your bottle stuck? Just pull harder buddy. You can get it out, don't yell."
Josiah - "a-yea...Mommy?...a-boobes?"
Me- "...yes, and the baby probably does want booby..."
Of course, like any astute student of linguistics, I can't claim to have the language mastered. Here is a sample conversation that I have yet to decipher.
Josiah- "A-mommy!? baba, daddy, mommy, ottle, baba....taaaaaataaaataaat....daddy?dada?daddy?mommy?mommy?mommy?....is is is... mommy, mommy, mommy, baba. Ma-b. Aaaaaahhhh. dat! dat! dat!"
Me- "Josiah, I can't understand you. What are you saying?"
Josiah- "a-i-dunno!"
I can only assume he is reflecting upon the state of the economic collapse in Europe and how our world economy will affect the upcoming elections. I've seen him listening to Ryan and I chat lately.
In case you're still a skeptic, here is proof of the linguistic variety this language employs. Below is a sample use of the homonym "caca." (Homonym= Words that sound the same OR are spelled the same, but have different meanings.)
Josiah- "Mommy? caca!" Translation: "I have caca in my diaper." (also the original meaning of the word)
Josiah- "Mommy! Bebe caca!" Translation: "The baby is eating something nasty off the carpet."
Josiah- "Mommy! Dis caca?" Translation: " I found a used cigarette butt in the parking lot, amazing! Here, hold it for me or I'm going to taste it."
In case you're still a skeptic, here is proof of the linguistic variety this language employs. Below is a sample use of the homonym "caca." (Homonym= Words that sound the same OR are spelled the same, but have different meanings.)
Josiah- "Mommy? caca!" Translation: "I have caca in my diaper." (also the original meaning of the word)
Josiah- "Mommy! Bebe caca!" Translation: "The baby is eating something nasty off the carpet."
Josiah- "Mommy! Dis caca?" Translation: " I found a used cigarette butt in the parking lot, amazing! Here, hold it for me or I'm going to taste it."
Josiah- "Mommy! yumyums caca!" Translation: "Wow lucky day! I found a moldy, rotting piece of peach in the trash can and now I'm eating it! "
I know what you're thinking. "It's a long-shot Camille. Maybe you're a little desperate to make yourself feel smart again." And to you I say, hey, here is the definition of "Language" according to my prestigious, infallible reference, Wikipedia:
"Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication."
I say it counts.
I know what you're thinking. "It's a long-shot Camille. Maybe you're a little desperate to make yourself feel smart again." And to you I say, hey, here is the definition of "Language" according to my prestigious, infallible reference, Wikipedia:
"Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication."
I say it counts.
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