This is a good illustration of one of the many faces of death and the abyss that can appear in those late night moments described in my last post:
Fortunately I seem to be over it for now. Sleep and I are back in one another's good graces and I am glad of it.
Lately and unrelatedly, Jane has developed a very decided attachment to the sign for "more." In her very small ideolect it signifies something along the general lines of "I feel a lack." This is not really particularly more communicative than having no vocabulary at all, but she seems to feel that it adds value.
Sometimes she will look very pointedly at your electronic device or coffee or other unsuitable thing and sign "more more more more more." Then comes a pause to see if you are too dense to have gotten the point, apparently so, more more more more more, good grief, no one can be as stupid as you act, surely, more more more, you get it? more. more? more more more, oh fuck it, there's no getting through to these people, I'll just grab it.
Sometimes she will amble up to you and do a little offhand "more," with a shrug: whatcha got for me? Anything? Just checkin'. No? I'll be on my way, then, ma'am.
Occasionally, teething, she will sob BUH HUH HUH HUH HUH HUH more? BUH HUH HUH. It lends the whole scene a very touching pathos.
There is something to be said for having a such a broadly expressive "more." No need to worry about fine gradations of desire, or about phrasing for politeness. Jane-more would be a fine comment for those occasions when I ask my students a question about something near the end of their assigned reading, for example, and they all find something very interesting to look at that is not me. Or when I try FOUR TIMES to find a way through the hydralike earthquake-retrofitting construction to my lunch appointment, the intended start of which is slipping further and further into the past. Or when the family of six walking in front of me begins to move more... and more... slowly... and creaks... to... a dead... halt.
But as I am a grown woman who can both hear and speak, instead of baby-signing I may acquire an air horn. MORE!
oh yes, this is exactly how leon started to use the sign for 'more.' i often feel the same way...
Posted by: erica | 05/13/2011 at 10:41 AM
At a slightly older stage, someone once explained the endless "Why?" to me sort of the same way -- it's not really a specific question, it's more a little kid version of "Even after your last contribution to the discussion, I remain interested and desire more information on related topics. Continue the flow of your discourse unimpeded if you would?"
Posted by: LizardBreath | 05/13/2011 at 11:38 AM
MOAR!
Posted by: finn | 05/14/2011 at 08:01 PM
"More" was my first word. Be afraid.
Posted by: David Auerbach | 05/15/2011 at 04:05 AM