A Study of Noun Concept Categories Using Data from Child Language Acquisition – an Outline
A Study of Noun Concept Categories Using Data from Child Language Acquisition – an Outline

Summary/Abstract: In this study we try to make a step towards the discovery of the structure of human semantic space. We describe the work achieved in analyzing data from child language acquisition in the attempt to build a model of basic semantic categories of nouns. The statistical results found for noun frequencies, compared with results from brain imaging studies in adults suggest the possible existence of mental representations found in early child development and shaping the structure of the semantic space. Based on previous analyses in language and cognition, we put forward an initial set of categories for noun concepts. We support the applied reasoning with examples and describe the steps performed for investigating the proposed set statistically. We present the currently obtained results.

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