Overudvidelse

Overudvidelse, also known as overextension, is a semantic phenomenon in early child language development in which a single word is used to refer to a broader set of objects, actions, or people than adults would typically use. It is a normal part of acquiring language and is most commonly observed in toddlers as their vocabulary grows and they attempt to map new words to many similar objects or events.

Typical examples include a child calling all four-legged animals a dog, all beverages juice, all men or adult males Daddy, or all vehicles such as trucks and buses a car. Other frequent patterns are using one word to label all fruit, all round objects, or all things used for eating. Overextensions reflect the child’s emerging lexical and conceptual knowledge, as well as strategies to communicate efficiently with limited vocabulary.

Causes and implications: overudvidelse arises from cognitive development, perceptual salience, and the need to generalize across similar objects or events. It often indicates productive word learning and is usually transient; most children refine their usage as they encounter more vocabulary and receive corrective feedback. While generally harmless, unusually persistent or wide-ranging overextensions beyond the toddler years, or those accompanied by other language or social delays, may warrant evaluation for language development issues or broader developmental concerns.

Related terms include underudvidelse (underextension), where a word is used too narrowly. Overudvidelse is a well-documented stage in typical language acquisition and tends to diminish as linguistic competence expands.