Three types of early word: the emergence of social words, names and cognitive-relational words in the one-word stage and their relation to cognitive development

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Abstract
The early words that 27 children produced between the ages of 12 and 20 months were analysed. Social words, such as that used to point out objects or no used to refuse suggestions, were consistently among the first words to appear. A small number of names also appeared in the very early period. Cognitive-relational words, such as gone used to indicate disappearance or no used to indicate failure consistently appeared after some social words had been acquired. The cognitive development of 18 of these children was also recorded. Social words and names, though not cognitive-relational words, appeared before children solved 'early stage 6' cognitive problems. These results suggest that children move from using language communicatively to using it to sort out their cognitive problems early in the one-word stage and that this shift is related to 'stage 6' cognitive developments.