- Aga became AH-gee-gah...and oh, how she loves her alligator!
- Phun become tel-phOne, which she promptly used to call Poppop (or as we say, Grandpa).
- Nana became BA-na-na! (the exclamation point included, as if she, too, realized the "Ba" part was new.)
- And most surprisingly, Cece became Ce-LEE! said, as always, with a giant smile.
I'm not sure why all of this happened at once, but I must admit I greet this evolution of terms with mixed feelings. I mean, I knew one day it would happen--the transformation of two syllables to three, the appearance of L's and other sounds that for so long have remained out of reach, and her recognition that Mommy and Daddy pronouce her name differently than the kids at school.
But still, I can't say I won't miss the revelation embedded in each of her innocent interpretations. I like that in Celie's world, at least for now, stop signs are "oc-ee-gons;" that the big silver things that fly overhead are called "hair-pines;" and that the little worm whose spun himself into a coccoon outside our door is lovingly referred to as a "cata-poppop," which somehow makes him akin to my Dad.
The naming of these things brings a new awareness of language and at the same time sheds light on the funny associations we might not otherwise make. Why shouldn't, for example, the arched window mullions in our front door, with their radiating lines and light streaming through, be called the "sun?" Why not refer to the space under the sheets as a "house?"
I also am constantly amazed by the mysterious words she invents, like "pun-pun" and "pun-tin," interchangable expressions that both mean 'camel,' something she created not long after her Daddy brought her one back from Dubai. I have no idea where these phrases come from or why they are what they are, but I enjoy learning her secret code--the daily language that only we know.
There's no way to stop her inevitable transition to what some call the 'King's English...' but me? I'll always love the sophistication of 'baby talk'--those smart little words that reveal how Celie finds meaning in things.
