Ana was talking at breakfast today, and she said (you'll love this)

[conuly]

"I only like it when it's been cutten."

That's really a somewhat unusual construction, been verb-en, and of course it doesn't even apply for the word cut, so I'm thrilled as punch that she came up with it on her own. A few months ago she spontaneously came up with the word thunk, which wasn't so thrilling since other people use that word.

It's strange, though. I thought the tendency was for kids to make words with less common forms into words with more common forms - not the other way around!

Comments

[plaid-slytherin.livejournal.com]

That's very interesting. *linguistics geek*

Could have made the leap from broken. (Cutting and breaking are kind of similar...) Did she ever use "cutted?"

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I was thinking too. :) She may already know that 'cutted' isn't right, but doesn't realize there isn't any past tense form of 'cut', so she's trying out the next reasonable option.

[conuly]

There is a past tense of cut. It's cut :) But I know what you mean, I'm just being persnickety.

[conuly]

Yes, I do think she modeled it after broken. Don't think she ever tried cutted, which I'd have expected.