Maggish

Maggie, at 21 1/2 months, is working really hard to learn English. In the meantime, she's made up her own version. Usually I understand what she's saying, but she adds to her unique vocabulary so quickly that sometimes I need a minute to remember where I've heard that sound she's yelling repeatedly at me before.

In an effort to reduce my moments of utter blank, I thought I'd chronicle the words she uses most frequently. Here's the list--at least what I can remember of it. I'll add to it when I think of more, or when she makes up more words.

Maggie says=Maggie means

na=yes
oh=no
Mom=Mom, pay attention to me now!
Mama=what she calls me when she's feeling sweet
Dadda=Daddy
Nay-nay=Nathan (no word for Matthew, yet)
ng-ng=Sparkles or any dog
meen=binkie, blankie, or beans
me=me
play=play (she says this whenever she sees a playground)
I=slide or go outside or high, as in push her higher in the swing
ome=home ("Dadda ome!")
buh-bye=bye-bye
baby=baby, pretty, or bird
poopoo=anything she does in her diaper
pah-ee=potty (I'm beginning to suspect that she's already trying to potty-train herself)
ba=bath
bah=ball
buhbuh=bubbles
ga-ga=chocolate or candy
ngung=gum (another favorite)
mumeye=money
wahwah=water
ee=horse or cow
ih-ee=kitty
by=fly
doo-dew=dirty
dew=deer
doo=soup
eetsa=pizza or food in general

You may have noticed that many of her words mean two or three different things. In these cases, I have to interpret using contextual clues, i.e. figure out what she's pointing at. For example, "baby" can mean a baby or anything pretty (bracelets, nail polish) or a bird. She says "baby ee" every time she sees cows or horses (or fields which might contain cows or horses) but I don't think she really knows what a baby horse or cow looks like, she's just implementing her newest discovery: the phrase.