SENSES, WORDS AND MEANING: INFLUENCE OF MORPHOLOGICAL AND SEMANTIC FEATURES OF WORDS ON DEFINING THEIR MEANING

Abstract

The subject of this research is the collection of children’s statements with the aim of discovering ways of defining the meanings of individual words, which differ according to morphological and semantic criteria. The research was conducted on a sample of ten younger children (3.5-4 years old) and ten preschool-age children (6.5+). Descriptive methodology was used for data collection, processing, and interpretation. Children’s responses were analyzed qualitatively and thematically, inductively from findings to conclusions. The analysis of the results involved within-group analysis as well as analysis based on age differences. It showed that: a) there is a difference in responding to these demands conditioned by age - preschool children are more likely to provide a response to the given demand; b) from a morphological aspect, nouns proved to be the easiest to define, adjectives were somewhat more difficult, and verbs were the most challenging; c) when considering the quality of the sensory sensation underlying the word, the research did not lead to clearer conclusions. Regarding the definitions of concepts, the most prominent types of definitions are: a) definitions based on the situation; b) definitions based on negation; c) definitions that involve demonstration/imitation and onomatopoeia; d) definitions that include feelings/emotions. The research was conducted on a small sample, so the results should not be generalized without reservations, but they can serve as a reference point for further research and as a stimulus for the development of games that emphasize the development of children’s perception and verbalization of what they perceive through that perception.