Edit: said 'woof woof' taking a very much younger Sally for a walk on the cliff-top at Bridlington. She's called 'Maggie'. Yes, after that one!
Monday, 16 March 2009
Woof!
Having mastered walking, it'll only be a matter of time before Charlie starts talking. He's been making all the right sounds now for several weeks. All he needs to do is put them together. I've ruled out indiscriminate 'mama/dada' sounds, which were his first so-called words; the 'tick-tock' noise he always makes when looking at the clock is purely onomatopoeic; and although he makes a passable attempt at 'yoghurt' and 'banana', I'm not sure he's quite there yet with either word. We have high standards here, y'know! But the book I'm running on his first real word is now in chaos after an exciting weekend at my parent's, celebrating mum's birthday. My sister was there too, of course. As was her dog (which rarely leaves her side). And dogs, of course, go 'woof'. And so does Charlie. So is 'woof' his first real word, or can I rule it out on the grounds that it's not human?
Edit: said 'woof woof' taking a very much younger Sally for a walk on the cliff-top at Bridlington. She's called 'Maggie'. Yes, after that one!
Edit: said 'woof woof' taking a very much younger Sally for a walk on the cliff-top at Bridlington. She's called 'Maggie'. Yes, after that one!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Get in touch
I think you can rule out woof as being of the canine lingo.
ReplyDeleteMy son's first words were: "Pater, pass the caviar please." Ah, so sweet. And he was only three months old . . .
No doubt moules mariniere came a little later!
ReplyDeleteHuman schnuman, I think if you can spell it, it counts.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope it's not something like "antidisestablishmentarianism"?!? lol
ReplyDeleteBut how do you spell it, Laura? After all, the dog can't tell us if we've got it right!
ReplyDeleteThat's be quite an achievement, Mal. (Good to hear from you again!)
STOP PRESS: If 'woof' is word number one, then we have a second word - Iggle, as in Iggle-Piggle. What a vocabulary!
Being a lover of dogs and all animals, I would definitely say that Woof is classed as a first word.
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
I'm hoping he comes out with 'mama' on mother's day 22 March
ReplyDeleteNo way, D. I would have got that down as a word immediately! Don't doubt yourself or Charley.
ReplyDeletexxxxx
I think we're going to have to agree, CJ!
ReplyDelete'Mama' (or mamamama) is quite a regular, Frankophile, but used too indiscriminately to be counted as a real word. Now, If he pointed to Sarah while saying it on Sunday....
You're right, Jenny. 'Woof' it is!
Woof is definitely a word! I wrote down all the words my two said - they were right chatterboxes - No.1 started at 5 months :-O I think it was my fault for chattering away to them all day. x
ReplyDeleteKnew exactly what my son's first real words were - 'Mend it!' as he held up a toy car that had lost a wheel!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Charlie's taking his time because I chat to him all day long!
ReplyDeleteThat's got to be unique, Jinksy.
I remember that with my Small Sprog! I bought him a farm yard animals book and, when we shared it together, I made the mistake of saying the animal noises (which he learnt instantly!)instead of their names!
ReplyDeleteWoof counts for sure...and hopefully his second word will be onomatopoeic!!
ReplyDeleteNo, woof doesn't count. My daughter's firt word was 'more'. Words like 'now' 'want' and 'can I have chocolate' quickly followed. I am still teaching her the meaning of the word No!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely a word! He could be calling the dog a Wolf for all you know. Today, woof and piggies. Tomorrow you'll be asking him for the love of all that is pure and holy will you please stop asking the same question five zillion times?! Er, wait, no...that was me. Sorry.
ReplyDelete"he makes a passable attempt at 'yoghurt'" Are you sure he wasn't just throwing up??
ReplyDelete"Woof"? Hmm, no, don't reckon. Dogs communicate more by smell than by words, so if he can smell like a dog then that would be more impressive!
Oh, I remember moo-cow, baa-lamb and the like, Sub.
ReplyDeleteWell, we'll see NB!
The most useful word of all, Rosie.
Oh, and me in a few weeks, Dori. ISn't it strange how we're all so excited about the first few words, then utterly frustrated by the rest of them?
No (although he's done plenty of that too, Gadj). In fact, I think 'yoya' might have to be promoted to number one spot, especially as so many people seem to think that 'woof' counts as a word.
Woof is most definitely a word! So is meow and oink oink! He is just multi-lingual!
ReplyDeleteOur little boy Tom is on a par by the sounds of it. He's experimenting with lots of different vowel and consonant sounds at the moment. He understands loads of words though - bedtime, cheese, chocolate, bottle, hot, biscuit and nappy. He understands "no" too but seems to think that obeying it is optional.
ReplyDeleteMy mum reckon my first word was 'why?'
ReplyDeleteIn retrospect I think it's more likely to have been 'wine?'
Woof is a fantastic first word. Your son can speak Dog - a veterinarian career awaits!
LBB x
'Woof' is in the Oxford English Dictionary so I suppose it counts but it does have a different meaning to Charlie's 'woof'.
ReplyDeleteConsidering my mom had a cat that "talked" to the children, I think it qualifies when your child "talks" like a dog.
ReplyDeleteQuite possibly, B&R. He behaves like a little animal at times, so it's appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI know, Steve - 'no' means no, except when it means 'maybe', or even 'yes'. We've got a long way to go...
I've read too much James Herriot to think that being a vet holds any glamour, LBB. Maybe he could be another Dr Doolittle?
We'll probably never know, CW. But my sister's dog seemed to understand.
Goodness, that's one clever cat, Z&T. Maybe there's something in this animal-talk lark after all.
I'd count it, definitely... although it is a bit onomatapoeic as you say... much better than 'duck' or 'car' as a first word.
ReplyDelete