By
Obododimma Oha
What children prefer to say, either to adults or to other children, is worth examining deeply. On the surface, they may appear funny, but could show some interesting trajectories in discourses among people.
Some of these child-coloured statements are:
(1) I will tell.
(2) I will tell for you.
(3) I will tell mommy for you.
(4) Your daddy's car has come.
(5) Leave me alone.
(6) I won't play with you again.
(7) Give me my thing.
Indeed, children relate with language in a number of ways : they can invent, mimick (that is, ridicule speech), imitate, etc. But apart from these, they may have a preferred pattern, which they don't think is faulty in any way. As adults, we may think the language is repetitive, unnecessarily elliptical sometimes, redundant, full of dispensable words, too simple, illogical, etc. But they do not see it that way. The expression is just exciting and not complaining!
Let us look at the samples one after the other, starting from #6. I won't play with you again (sometimes accompanied by a shrug) shows some finality in discontinuing a relationship. First, it is as if that relationship is based only on play. But, of course, there could be other things. But all are discontinued. It is a way of saying, "You are no longer my friend." That could be frightening, even though the mind of a child knows no finality. Mending fences is easy and declared enemies are playing again the next minute.
In #6, the underlying logic is that friends play with friends. Enemies do not. So, the addressee is now an enemy!
As we have indicated earlier, "I won't play with you again" could be multimodal, involving linguistic and non-linguistic gestures, like the shrugging of shoulders and backing. The idea is that the discontinuation should be clear to the addressee. Of course, the addressee tries to make up right away, for finality is frightening.
And reminds me: children talk a lot with their body parts. The shrugging of the shoulder calls attention to it. There is also the shooting out of the tongue in mocking, as if to say: "Go and hug a high-tension electric pole or transformer.
In #5," Leave me alone" looks like a continuation of #6. The "ME" is either no longer a friend or does not want an interaction with the addressee. The "ME" to be left "unbothered" is obviously not happy with the addressee.
It is common for adults not sensitive to the ways of the speaker to get this kind of tongue lash.
"Leave me alone" may be uttered several times, for emphasis. The addressee should know that this intensity means business or seriousness.
But of course, the bothering of the speaker may not be nonlinguistic. It may be linguistic and mere continuation of a talk in which the speaker has opted out. It may be mere mention of the speaker's name. In that case, " Leave me alone" means "Don't involve me" or "Don't mention my name." It is therefore an early warning!
"Your daddy's car has come" is often heard in the context of waiting, say schoolrun in which the speaker and schoolmates are anxiously waiting to be picked up and driven home.
I know that you would laugh when you are reminded of "I will tell mommy for you." It is not just that mommy is the police officer who would be brutal in pulling ears but "tell" is special reporting and one has to beg now before it too late. Is the grammar of "for you"? No problem. The English grammar teacher won't hear.
So, you see. #3 is loaded and can explode. It is very dangerous to make someone "tell mommy for you." It is bad enough "to tell for you" as #2 says, but too bad "to tell mommy for you." Bad if the journalist at Lekki Toll Gate writes "I will tell." Oh, beg now.
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